For your 5 hour session with very few HQ...what kind of numbers is your quality ending up with?
Anyway, craftsmanship improves quality and I have observed that craftsmanship tends to go up higher if the risk of an action is higher. (e.g. Careful synthesis during flashing)

I do not know what the chances of HQ are now but I heard they bumped it up some in one of the other threads around.

But yeah unable to touch up parts and materials is a problem.