To answer all your materia/crafting/gear questions

It all boils down to one thing.

Gil, so go get some.


It's like trying to gather all the +3 mats for a +3 NM item and finding the people to craft it.
A total waste of time, cause failures will happen, and happen alot.
Just wait it out, farm some gil, and wait for the goodies to arrive at your local wards.

In summary, cash is king, don't sweat the details.



Oh, and if you're upset that some gimp with a hordes of gil has better gear than you, get over it cause FFXIV is for casuals and SE wants the "best" gear to be within everyone's reach.