Darth Avlectus

Yes, you're spot on about RE returns. I'm often sending people out on crew missions as a result of depleted mats. Esp when it takes some items 30 tries at RE before getting the upgraded version. Yeah, artifice on my one smuggler is just over 100 and doesn't make much of value. My one toon w/biochem is still in <200 range as well, so nothing really good there even.

Grinding for cash is a .......grind. Yes. At one point my first toon was doing the heroic grind for comms (9+ on OM, 8+ on Coru and 18+ on Taris) a few times a week. Gets old fast though. Even the Alderaan money run at Alde Library gets old if done more than 1x.

Chrysopaz and marilite must be the kind of mats you get from crew mission discoveries... expensive. As far as leveling up your craft....jut go back to trainer and buy some schematics and then level the cheapest stuff he'll sell you till it doesn't advance the craft level. At least your map should show *s where crystals are when you travel around.