Wouldn't it be better to do this through the "Constants" mod, rather than messing with the game files? End result should be the same but you can just remove/reset the mod if you want to restore defaults
Honestly, yes. But I've had trouble with mods in general, as have other people, so if he wanted to bypass the system this would be how.
You're right though. The same can be done through the Constants Mod that comes with the game.