RMT are now advertising crystal/shards - Shards need changed

[Buckles]

The crafters who would like to see a shard reworking (not reduction) do not want things handed to them on a plate -- instead we don't want the RMTs to have stuff handed to them on a plate.

Shards require absolutely no effort to gather, they quite literally require nothing but time -- and this is the problem of shards, because what does an RMT have if not an endless amount of time.

Shards are used in what seems to me to be about 95-97% of the crafting recipes in the game, in increasing amounts to level 50 stuff where you are using 5-6 of two element shards per synth. An item farmable by the lowest level gatherer is used in recipes used by max level crafters in huge quantities.

Shards, as they exist now, encourage RMT more than many people care to realise for all the above reasons. They are used in almost everything a crafter can hope to make, and they are obtainable by simply stepping 10ft outside your starter city.

[Buckles]

Now the obvious answer is have shards be replaced by crystals in level 20+ recipes. After all, in level 20+ mines you start mining them, but they are useless in all but a handful of level 50 crafts for 1-star items. Clusters should be for 41-50 gear, instead of an even smaller amount of 1 and 2-star recipes. However, for unknown reasons, SE have it that the easiest item in the world to obtain is used in vast quantities by every crafter in the game.

So yes, in my opinion and for the reasons stated above, shards need reworking/replacing sooner with crystals/clusters to curb this marketable area for the RMTs.

[Ehllfhire]

Shards and crystals are easy to farm and cheap to buy on market so why buy them from gold sellers?

[Mazley]

Ya they are easy...just time consuming..

[Divinemight]

Now the obvious answer is have shards be replaced by crystals in level 20+ recipes. After all, in level 20+ mines you start mining them, but they are useless in all but a handful of level 50 crafts for 1-star items. Clusters should be for 41-50 gear, instead of an even smaller amount of 1 and 2-star recipes. However, for unknown reasons, SE have it that the easiest item in the world to obtain is used in vast quantities by every crafter in the game.

So yes, in my opinion and for the reasons stated above, shards need reworking/replacing sooner with crystals/clusters to curb this marketable area for the RMTs.

The real issue is supply vs demand. With current rush to lvl50 madness ongoing, there are no shard farmers. There is limit supply but much higher demand. It is not smart for S/E to adjust something so quick without let game settle it first. Three months sound to be a reasonable and logical time period.

[Macka]

However, for unknown reasons, SE have it that the easiest item in the world to obtain is used in vast quantities by every crafter in the game.

So yes, in my opinion and for the reasons stated above, shards need reworking/replacing sooner with crystals/clusters to curb this marketable area for the RMTs.

You havent played FFXI i guess you can get crystals and clusters at any level even level one.

[Estellios]

My only issue is that food and potions require the same amount of shards as a piece of gear when they last at most 30 minutes. For the love of god SE, reduce the amount of shards required for crafting consumables.

Edit: Or changing to crystals works too, as long as they take 2-3 per synth.

[Laume]

The real issue is supply vs demand. With current rush to lvl50 madness ongoing, there are no shard farmers. There is limit supply but much higher demand. It is not smart for S/E to adjust something so quick without let game settle it first. Three months sound to be a reasonable and logical time period.

I disagree. I personally say that it's the rate of time it takes to craft something and the time it takes to farm shards. As I said before, 1k shards is nothing for higher level crafters that use 10~12 shards per craft. I can probably blow 1k in shards in about 40 minutes. But it'll take me a little over an hour to get 1k in shards. That almost guarantees a starvation for crafters for shards.

[Ninjaii]

Seriously?? It's so easy to get them it just takes some of your time. I continue to be dumbfounded by the number of gamers that want things handed to them with 0 effort. The RMT sellers can sell them because they are actually super easy to get with some time on task.

And because they are using bots and nothing is being done about it

[Buckles]

You havent played FFXI i guess you can get crystals and clusters at any level even level one.

You're kinda ignoring the main vein of the thread to nitpick at stuff I (omit) saying while I try to contribute.

The point here is something incredibly easy to get, is used in enormous quantities. The bane of all MMOs, the RMT, has grown smart and the market is flooded with bot-farmed shards. For the sake of crafters and balance in the economy alike this needs some measure of addressing.

SE may have banned the shouters and the vocal front men of the RMTs spamming city channels, but their supply horses are still in full swing taking full advantage of a less-then-thought out crafting ingredient list.