So...after watching lots of Fallout 76 content over the past week or so, I'm coming to realize that playing in a custom world with relaxed difficulty is actually harder to progress because the game is completely buiilt around multiplayer and player trading. Not to mention the extra shit you can get from Fallout 1st that you can't redeem in custom worlds.
Therefore, I'm about to start over and dip my toes into Adventure Mode! Wish me luck!