There exist many ways how to get weapons and armor: NPC trade, player trade, PvE loot, PVP loot and of course, crafting. Why not make crafting more individual. I understand that because of game/database code, any new information can cause lags/unstability, but i will try to forget this difficulties and focus on main idea.
Why not to support crafters roleplaying too? If you are in gang, crafter is boring cha =, with skilled trait and 10 IN, no problem (except quest) to have char on adequate level in few hours.
If you are loner or you are not gang player, you have hard work to do, because you can not afford skilled trait and 10 luck build and crafting items is more harder. So i wiould like to see implementation of kind of weapon modding. Player should be able to modify their weapons by some perk/trait. You would get this opportunity, if you finish some quest or if you kill enouth critters,.. . I think that this will add basic players (non power builds) benefit that player with many powerbuilds could not have, because he will not have time to level his crafter to level 21.
Examples of this weapon traits: -4 max dmg, +2 min dmg => you will do more constat damage , or reduce DT and boost DR of your armor, ... .
In general, awarding players (even on level 21) by minor perks (i.e.: you have cleared 500 caves, your perception is +1 because you learned how to better see in the dark) on your character, or possibiity of modify weapon attributes (if finish quest of 100+ killed centaurs, you will be able to modify weapon that it will does +5 percent damage to NPCs, but -10 to players), could be reason why players will still play their one main char and they will get bonuses that 4 days leveled up powerbuild could not have.