Oh I can explain this with ease.
Its a primarily anti-player series of mechanics that is designed for time wasting and general artificial extension of the game rather than providing a fun experience.
Is that what's been said or are you just assuming it?
FO4's crafting mechanics is inherently faulty because what it is, under the hood, is basically a replacement for the skills system and even worse is level-gated.
No actually the perk system replaced the skill system.
For comparison, in NV you could rush 100 Survival and craft high-level stuff early on, it let you have this as a choice.
You can rush 100 Survival at the cost of sacrificing other skills. Effectively capping you to a mix max build if you wanted to get the most out of skills early game
In FO4 you are limited by the 'science!' or 'gunsmith!' perks you have, which you CANNOT rush due to FO4 having a level-gate system.
That's because in Fallout 4 there's no level cap, so you CAN get everything with enough time. You can only do this in New Vegas by mix maxing AND using DLC's
You're literally arguing that getting OP quicker is better
NV lets you get 'ahead of the curve' so to speak, rushing guns to craft custom ammo can give you an edge over your enemies,
So your argument is you can craft items faster?
You do know crafting takes certain perk slots that effectively omitt you from other perks overall reducing your freedom?
Fallout 4 is slower to get to the stage but that's balanced by the fact you can get everything, Fallout 4 is obviously not intended to be rushed through this is evident by the fact is has a Post Game unlike New Vegas.
when at-best the perk system of FO4 is designed to keep you 'with the curve'. Its a manipulative and modern style of game design.
Describe what you think modern style of game design is?
It also promoted the reduction in the number of guns, from level 1 to level 100 90% of the guns you will find will be various pipe weapons,
That's based on the zone you're in, tell me you didn't play the game without telling me you didn't play the game
whereas in NV you can find a complete utter olympic sized swimming pool of various guns ranging from refitted thompson laser guns, cowboy repeaters, 10m pistols, 9m pistols, hunting shotguns, anti materiel rifles and about a dozen explosive types.
The equivalent of your argument would be saying you only find a BB gun and some pistols in Good springs
Because that's the equivalent of where the majority of Pipe Rifles would be found, in low level zones.
The crafting for weapons was also far too straightforward, slap the biggest barrel, magazine and newest receiver on the gun, bam that's all it is.
Yeah you can increase your damage or fire rate or your accuracy without having to hunt for specific mods across the map, just upgrade your perks while playing.
Are we acting like New Vegas was any different? They too add mods to upgrade damage or magazine capacity and etcetera.
There's no benefit to more unique and varied designs. Its an illusionary mechanic which unfortunately fails the illusion part because we all see straight through its veneer.
That's literally the New Vegas moding system for weapons
Also, completely broke armor balance because a lot of effects stack in funny ways, so with ballistic weave and explosion-proofing you can basically become nigh-immortal to any form of damage while wearing light leather armor. This is inherently just a bad idea in a game series that heavily promotes equipment based progression.
This is your only valid argument, armor is broken in Fallout 4
But you don't become nigh immortal with crafting until you're already a high level player, it's like dissing New Vegas because your max lvl Courier is hard to kill because you mix max for durability.
So the only actual criticism you have on why New Vegas crafting is better is because Fallout crafting makes you too strong.