Ability to Downgrade Elemental Crystals into Shards.

[BLaCKnBLu3B3RRY]

Can you clarify this statement? Are clusters a different item mechanically and in the lore and not just a large collection of crystals? Do they lose their power when smacked with a hammer and no one can figure out why?
...an in-game justification would be nice.

i am 100% with you. the explanation provided is a bunch of hogwash.

[Meier]

i am 100% with you. the explanation provided is a bunch of hogwash.

Agreed. We had it in 1.0 and we want it back. If it's not broke, don't fix it...plain and simple.

[axemtitanium]

Guys, it actually doesn't matter what kind of fictional in-universe justification they gave or whether it makes sense. The dev team has decided that they don't want this feature so no amount of criticizing their reasoning will change their mind.

[BLaCKnBLu3B3RRY]

Guys, it actually doesn't matter what kind of fictional in-universe justification they gave or whether it makes sense. The dev team has decided that they don't want this feature so no amount of criticizing their reasoning will change their mind.

oh yeah. don't get me wrong. i am not trying to complain about it or anything. if they don't want to they don't want to.

[Miitan]

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.

[HakuroDK]

When I was leveling crafting classes, I actually had a surplus of Clusters, a fair amount of Crystals, and I was practically starving for Shards.

There really should be some kind of conversion for this. Heck, I'd be okay with it going both ways, as everyone needs shards, everyone needs crystals, and everyone needs clusters, but at different intervals, so a player could convert a surplus of one to fill the deficit of another. Same elemental aspect of course. No one is saying anything about "Rainbow Crystals" or something foolish like that, just being able to either break down or trade in clusters for crystals and crystals for shards, then maybe vice-versa as well.

[NyarukoW]

Why stop at shards and crystals? How about sands into logs, oil into logs, logs into allied seals, seals into solidery, poetics into soldiery, soldiery into poetics etc. etc. You get the idea.

SE must have a good reason to have these distinct item and currency types. Why make them convertible? Why not keep them distinct? And why are some convertible in one direction only? There has got be better reason than I want to be able to get shards more easily. If that is all you wanted you can just boost the skills to get +5 instead of +2. But there must be balance reasons why it is where it is.

[kidvideo]

Give Alchemists a "crystal transmutation" ability, to transmute clusters into crystals of the same type, etc.

[Namasu]

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.

Well right now the game work in a way that shard botters control the foundation of FFXIV market. There is no denial about that and we know you don't have the interest to weed out all those botters and even if you do they'd be back within the hour. So why don't you allow us legit gatherer who worked our way to 50 to farm clusters and convert them down the line to rebalance the shard/crystal/cluster market. Give the players more power to control the economy and not the bots.

[Sapphic]

Then can you add a feature wherein it is possible to obtain shards yourself in a reasonable amount of time? Buff the DoL ability to harvest more?

Like make it lvl 1-5 nodes give 1 shard per swing, 10-15 give 2, 20-25 give 3. alyway upto level 50 nodes giving 6 per swing. If shards are made easier to obtain it will cut into gil sellers profits by making farming them yourself a lot more palatable.