Thanks Chrisaub - although that info is not encouraging...
There has to be something about a crafted item that makes it desirable. For armour, if it looks really great, for example, then you may even hope that it gives nothing apart from 0.5 protection on electric, so you can then either just wear it instead of other clothes without it decaying or hang plates from it to provide a bit of real defense....
Or introduce a new bonus to the 'home planet' armour - something like other soldier npcs giving you small gifts occassionally as a sign of 'friendship' if you are wearing the armour when you go past....
I'm hoping something like a mk2 version will quickly be introduced for the hard launch or something. All the economic chains must make sense to run along and be a part of.... and then people need to know about it too = information!