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I've gathered from looking around that there is no full editor for BF2.
So what can be done that doesn't require one?

pretty much just wate a week or so for the tools, unless you are interested in ex. imps vs cis mods, use a hex editor.

Hex-editing does not only allow you to change factions playing on a level... You can also edit localization keys, the equipment used by a chosen unit, skins of buildings or players, the vehicles called on maps, etc... As you'll probably notice, possibilities are endless !...

I've only used a hex editor once or twice. Will pretty much anything work because I still have one I used for KotOR?

The process you've used to hex-edit KotOR files may not be applied to SWBF's...
Also, what's the name of the hexa-decimal editor you've talked of ?

XVI32 I think.

Also, when I opened anything with it, I only see a little bit of recognizable words near the top, as I scroll down it just turns into large sections consisting of only one symbol, what am I supposed to be looking for?

It's a long story. Go to some of the previous pages, you will find all the info there.

RED', the "large sections" composed of only incomprehensible symbols are in fact the "borders" placed between two "understandable" parts, which are compiled files merged into the *.LVL file you're browsing through XVI 32... Moreover, we might help you if you told us what you're trying to tweak exactly...

Basically you replace units or vehicles. There are sections for all maps for all their game modes. Each mode has a set of units for each of the two factions.

Hope that gave you a rough idea.

Well, mainly I wanted to try map/story type stuff, but if the options are limited to the above mentioned, I'd settle for being able to swap the engineers torch for a pistol;)

As for the actual editor, it's not so much a problem of incomprehensible symbols as much as it is finding anything in them, as far as I can tell there's only a few distinguishing words in the beginning of a file, after that I see large clumps consisting of only one symbol.

The sections composed of only one symbol may be the "body" of textures, sounds or other stuffs which can't be modified efficiently using an hex-editor, MIKE'... That's why some softwares like LVL Extractor have been designed, so as to get and edit such files more easily...

But how do you get them back to the lvl file?

That's a good question, which I'll start to study again as soon as possible...
However, I already know the "compiling" of user-made textures can only be done through hex-editing, since BCompiler seems not to handle SWBF II *.DDS files...

I didn't know there was a file extractor, where can I get it?
Does it just translate them into a useable file, or actually let you edit them?

LVL Extractor can be got here, JOHN'... However, it can only pull out some usable textures from *.LVL files, which can be opened and edited through softwares owning the *.DDS file-format support...

Could I use GIMP or the PS trial version to edit them without any conflicts?

In order to manipulate *.DDS files in Adobe Photoshop, you'll have to download this plug-in... Regarding The Gimp, you can get a similar add-on by looking there...