Thank you for your analysis. Having not been on the team when High Seas crafting was implemented, I can't say for sure what the intent was. From my perspective, however, there's a spectrum of crafter - like many play styles, from the casual to the hard core. For someone that's a casual crafter, sure, anything beyond a straightforward recipe and crafting process isn't going to be enjoyable. For the hardcore crafter, though, they might enjoy some more involved crafting recipes and processes. I think the bigger issue with High Seas crafting, at least in the case of ammo, was the initial shortage in the availability of salt peter. This was resolved to a certain degree, but I don't think quite far enough. I personally didn't mind the ship ammo crafting process and amassed a good deal of my in game wealth through the sale of ship supplies when HS was released, the saltpeter shortage was a different story. The entire High Seas ship combat experience is definitely in need of streamlining and polish, as well as some loot upgrades and bug checks.
As I mentioned in the Siege thread, this is something that has been on our wishlist for a while. In the immediate term we are focusing on fleshing out the remainder of the Valley of Eodon (so that does not suffer from the "hot potato" problem we saw with HS).
As a matter of clarification, I don't think "pointless crafting complexity" makes everything more fun. I do, however, think that the role of the dedicated crafter and their relevance in the current game has diminished, especially since a majority of players have a full complement of crafting able characters to deliver on any crafting needs their combat able characters may need. One of the most common points of feedback we receive is "make crafters relevant again!" in some form or another. While I don't think "pointless crafting complexity" adds more fun, I do think trying different approaches to presenting new challenges within the context of the crafter role can be a worthwhile investment. Sometimes the best laid plans don't pan out in practice and we go back to the drawing board. Thanks again for your feedback!