As has been noted, crafting where you have to gather resources can become a huge hassle in a game if it turns grindy. Being somewhat obesessive with regards to upgrades, I always tend to drop any move towards progressing in story and start grinding resources if there’s a possibility to optimize.
I do, however, think that crafting can be a neat addition if there’s a way to implement it in such a way that it doesn’t take too much focus from the combat. Perhaps a travelling companion or a special blacksmith in cities can get orders from you which take a long time to finish. That way you can get that shiny axe with perhaps a point or two of additional damage while not easily kitting every one of your brothers with super gear.
