Quote Originally Posted by Grekumah View Post
Unlike in Version 1.0, each type of crystal has been re-designed to be their own unique and individual item. Shards are shards, crystals are crystals and clusters are clusters. As such there are no plans to add a feature to downgrade from one type to another.
All this means is that the most time efficient method of obtaining shards is to buy them from RMT on the Marketboards since they can a.) farm forever and b.) afford to undercut everyone else.

Hardly a solution to the issue of shard requirements.