Would just like to double check this before investing in 600+ crafting. Can you craft gear variants, eg R-1, AR-13, BR-7, etc versions of barrels/hilts, mods and enhancements? If not, I really think this should be made possible because otherwise a lot of gear crafting is pointless. Edited August 22, 2020 by Rooksx

I want to say "no."

 

Skimming the GTN only has unlettered, A and B type mods for all the craftable gear, but it's always been like this. True, the R variants didn't exist before 6.0 (to my knowledge). While I am one for more meaningful crafting and having that be a viable way to gear alongside grinding content, it would introduce a lot more bloat to the crafting menus, perhaps too much so. In my journey to 306, I have seen [type} Enhancements 80R-14 and I think it goes all the way to 19. Do you really want ALL 19 versions in your menu? Cybertechs would be drowning in their menu.

It would be messy, but as it stands a lot of crafting is pointless. There's no reason to spend the time, effort and credits making an unlettered 80 item when they drop so frequently from multiple sources. Unlettered 80s are not BiS though, and if the BiS variant can't be crafted, then obtaining it is entirely RnG. Although there's not much statistical difference between an unlettered 80 and the BiS item, people like to optimise. Maybe crafting variants should go side by side with reducing the number of alternatives. In my experience 306 gear drops are weighted towards unlettered 80s; I've received very little BiS gear. Edited August 23, 2020 by Rooksx

Perhaps they're outdated, but I've seen some guides that say some unlettered or R-1 variants (which are identical) of mods, armorings and hilts are BiS. Between R-2 and R-5 (depending on the item) isn't too far off from optimal either, I think.