I think the limited uses idea could work here, as some kind of internal limitation on the Fabricator's own supplies (probably higher for higher ratings). In most cases we have the fact that hacking already has a cap since you can no longer reset a trace, though that alone may not be enough to prevent someone
really focused on hacking from getting a bit too much out of one machine.
That said, limitations kinda go further against my original hopes you could seriously build and maintain an army of robots. This discussion has mostly been revolving around parts, but robots can be built, too! However, I'm not so certain about the long-term viability of that plan, anyway, since Fabricator distribution is not guaranteed....
Anyway, the ultimate goals are to avoid grind (both the necessary and optimal kinds) while making fabrication useful, so it'll be some combination of all these, um, conflicting opinions
I kinda like the idea of destroying the matter storage units, and can see that working with instant fabrication pretty well.
I love matter containers once I actually start carrying them around.
In matter critical situations, I call it Ghost Busting™. Throw it on the floor and step on it to unleash the whoopass.
Heh, I was wondering if anyone was doing that.
I tend to ignore containers for the most part, but once I have one or two, especially once full, it's hard to put it down because they're nice to have just in case.