Testing theory = good; summarily dismissing theory with prejudice and no evidence = less good.

I will endeavor to contribute my research here when it's in a more digestible form.

For now, I suspect that the elements are associated with directions. Consider the arrangement of the 12 Guardians as typically represented in a wheel, and there are elementally coloured stars... while it may not make an huge difference, that doesn't mean it doesn't contribute.

I would bet significant sums and body parts that direction did indeed make a difference to crafting in FFXI, based on 6+ years of playing and taking crafts to 100; maybe only a few percent, but a difference regardless.

Looking forward to much research and discussion on this topic. ^^