This made me register. Love the idea; reminds me of Vagrant story.
The community seems to be quite divided on this topic. I am sure obsidian can make it work for both sides, though I do not get the impression that crafting is being forced on the player. You do not have to craft if you do not want to.
I think that crafting a weapon better than/equal to a legendary one is not necessarily a bad idea. Why can my character not become a legend at the forge? It just has to be as challenging as obtaining a legendary weapon the usual way.