Crafting and the Anima Quest Chain

[ChameleonMS]

A crafter response.

I do not go through my day to day garbage just to get home and watch my avi sit in a corner and stare into a glowy light for hours and hours. I don't know how crafters can do it.

But you do, it is called a screen, the lights just flash a little more often for DoW actions.
Honestly though, significant parts of the crafting challenge is solving a problem. The problem, how to HQ this item with these skills and this many turns. It requires forethought and some basic mathematics.
DoW stuff, has nearly zero consequence for failure, just do it again. Each DoW event is scripted, just learn the script and repeat it. Even in failure, you gain mastery of the script.
For crafting, failure equals loss of materials.

.. the crafting community are basically the digital incarnation of corrupt capitalism and charge millions upon millions of gil to exploit players who can't make these items themselves. It's disgusting...

It's all about keeping score. DoWs keep score with X clears of content. Crafters keep score with opulence and Gil. Everyone wants the high score.

Very accurate. Whoever is in charge of the economy doesn't even play the game I'm sure.

The buyers are incharge of the economy of single item. If an item is not selling at price X, the seller lowers the price until it does sell.

SE is incharge of what crafters can make that would actually be useful. If something is useful and difficult to make and/or rare, it will cost more; just like any economy. Suppy and demand.
FYI, SE owed crafter's one after screwing us with 3.1 and overmelding.