Exactly.

If crafting is made to be super difficult then by all means make it comparable to the best loot drops. Otherwise then I've always supported the idea that raid style loot should be the top tier loot as it drops off the top tier bosses. By and large there is no requirement for PVE characters to walk around in the best gear as the content they are experiencing isn't balanced for that.

If crafting was a skill you had to specialise in, in order to achieve the best results then I believe there should be some reward for that. By and large however in every MMO I've ever played crafting is purely an ancilliary, grindy type affair that doesn't really deserve the same kind of rewards that high end adventuring provides.

If you want the acclaim for standing in front of a forge all day then I suggest you check out EQ Landmark.

I found no need to buy or craft anything leveling up, nothing was that difficult, and you can go to Cyrodil and get = level gear from any cave there in a small amount of time.