You can craft any item as long as you have skill ranks equal to it's level in the appropriate skill. Say, engineering for weapons. It costs the same in materials as buying the item.
But it most settlements, you can find any item of your level +1 or +2.
Since you can only have skill ranks equal to your level, you can only ever craft items equal to your level.
Why craft anything, if you can buy a higher level item and almost any point?
Sometimes you aren't in a settlement and need something in particular. if you have the UPBs and time you can make it yourself. Also sometimes you may not be able to afford a higher level version, but want the added hitpoints/hardness. I know this was the case for my guy with a computer he wears, I didn't want it to be easily borked by the GM, so I crafted it myself.
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Mostly, thematics. However, theee are some minor mechanical benifits. It has more HP, and you can repair it much quicker. And worth remembering is that you can craft on your ship with the right setup. So if you're out in the vast and really need a particular item, that's when you're friendly crafty friend saves you a month long trip to absalon station and back. Just keep a pool of UPBs on hand to do this with.
I doubt people will typically be crafting weapons or armor, you'll want to get those first chance. But there are plenty of other items where this could be handy.
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Due to WBL concerns your number of items at above your level will always be very limited. For example, at 10th level you're expected to have 66,000 credits worth of stuff. There are no items of level 11 or above (except grenades) that cost less than 20,000 credits. None.
So, inevitably, assuming you carry more than six items total around with you, more than half your items will be less than your level.
And, as stated in the crafting rules, home-made items are more durable and easier to repair than store bought ones. This being the case, aside from your two or three over-leveled items, all your other stuff should be made by you personally, or taken from fallen foes and the like, since there is no reason for them to not be.
Mostly, thematics. However, theee are some minor mechanical benifits. It has more HP, and you can repair it much quicker. And worth remembering is that you can craft on your ship with the right setup. So if you're out in the vast and really need a particular item, that's when you're friendly crafty friend saves you a month long trip to absalon station and back. Just keep a pool of UPBs on hand to do this with.
I doubt people will typically be crafting weapons or armor, you'll want to get those first chance. But there are plenty of other items where this could be handy.
Being out in the vast is nice. Especially if you've bombed a diplomatic summit and escaped on the visiting ambassador's shuttle. Or even if that's not what happened at all, but somebody edited a few videos together and now the whole system believes it.
Yeah, I can imagine scenarios where it's worthwhile to be able to function as your own level+0 general store.
It gives characters something "useful" to do while traveling through the Drift from planet to planet or star to star.