Doing couple new playthroughs and what stood out was how quick crafters jumped up in tiers.
All i wanted was to refine couple raw mats for t1 gear upgrades, but the measly cost of mats shoves t2 stuff in your face in an hour. Then you kinda feel the need to rush up lvling to be able to equip any of it and progression is thrown out the window.
Maybe first upgrade could just give you crafting stations. And tier upgrades might require more mats and maybe be locked behind some other progression. Be it a quest or your level.