I think since crafting is essentially a mini-game, that it should *feel* like a mini-game. Right now, I feel like if I want my crafts and gathering professions to stay relevant for the more fun aspect of the game (no doubt crafting is less fun than battle in my book... at least right now with you spamming Standard Synth until red lights, in which you hit Wait... even that is optional at times).

I agree that everything about crafting needs to be faster. I think they may have hit the leveling curve on the head with war/magic, or perhaps that will need sped up when they introduce more levels to the game. I would particularly like the ridiculous recipes to be fixed, such as using Fish Glue or something in low level synths, and it would also be nice to see the harder synths have more SP reward. A bow, spear, armor, etc. takes much longer to make than a component, as you said, and should reward proportional SP. The fact if you want to craft certain items, you need multiple Hand disciplines make it so this is even more of a problem, and SP needs increased for crafting across the board.

I would much rather spend less of my time crafting, and more of it fighting alongside LS friends