I think that if your game cares about the time and effort it takes to make and maintain something, then crafting rules are a necessity. If it doesn't, or it abstracts the idea of crafting to countdown, then they're superfluous at best, busywork at worst.

A lot of games I see (mostly in the fantasy space) seem to like the idea of crafting, but treat it as a side activity that must be as efficient as possible and therefore out of the way as soon as possible.

This sounds cool! It's exactly what I mean when I say crafting should be part of the core loop.

This is true to some extent for any game mechanic that isn't just an offshoot of your basic resolution system. Crafting is a specific kind of game that has a lot of moving parts, from ingredients to equipment to time management. If your game doesn't care about these things, maybe less is more.

I'm currently developing a 6th-level adventure for an upcoming Draw Steel Anthology project (Same one as @sammcgurran.bsky.social ). docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Day 2 of the Jam
The Task: Writing Lore for the items
Result: There are three main fragments: the Scroll of the Fallen, the Shroud of Usa Kedčak, and Corby's Girdle. Each Fragment has unique properties which embodies its journey and those who kept it safe. As such, they will be defensive.