A way to make crafting not-a-total-waste in campaign

We get flooded by augments an transmutes. We even occasionally get blues dropping on the ground. Occasionally they will be good blues that we actually could use.
So, we could regal a good blue item. And now it's got 3 decent-good mods! Wow!
You consider exalting and... for the cost of an exalt, you could get a near-perfect item for your level.
Well, so much for crafting. That's the strictly inferior option, even if things did go well on the roll. And then again on the roll, and then *again* on the roll.

An obvious problem, given that GGG wants both an open market, as well as having expressed the desire for players to "craft."

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So... level gating? A couple of tiers of crafting orbs. Those not on the highest tiers may as well be worthless, but can still be used to craft during the campaign.

But... Problem: 1) the UI, and stacking.
2) Makes running the campaign even more worthless than it already is. Already, all the loot is (rightly) at maps... and the campaign takes a ridiculous amount of time. But at least as it currently stands, you can at least pretend you will occasionally get an exalt as you are sent careening through the most massive, winding, narrow pathways possible to find the objective.
If you implemented level-gated orbs, that would be less of a thing.

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So... What about limited-use vender abilities, which are level-gated? One use of a regal and exalt when you get to the act, then another 3 when you beat the act boss. Or something like that.
I don't see the downsides with that, aside from being moderately obnoxious, but no more so than having selling for gold, orbs, and artificer orbs all be different interfaces.

Well, there might be one downside: players are undoubtedly going to ask for more, no matter what number or reset mechanic you add.

And obviously, a leveling item that's on the market is going to be better than almost anything you could ever craft with any of these mechanics. But... So what? This lets you craft, and not at the opportunity cost of buying for the same price.