Most augmented items are selling for several hundred thousand credits right now, so it's going to be something of a process just to save up for them. Of course, if you take Synthweaving/Armormech, you can deal with that much easier. Crit rates should be around 15%, iirc, for orange items. More if it you have a companion with a crit bonus.
And I don't think your assumption was a crazy one. The dailies generally have breadcrumb quests to lead players back to earlier planets. That wouldn't be nearly so important for a planet that ends in 50. What I find odd is that they didn't seed a quest on the planets, as well. Would be logical, particularly since you are going to hit level cap on Corellia.

