So, the current system allows you to break down crystals of a specific rank into a larger number of crystals of the next lower rank: Radiants into Shining, Shining into Glowing, etc.
Why can't this work both ways? What about a system that allows you to turn excess numbers of lower rank crystals into a small number of higher rank crystals, like 10 Glowing into 3 Shining, 10 Shining into 3 Radiants, etc.
Would this be such a bad idea?
Would doing such a thing influence the drop rate of those lower-rank shards at a later date and time?
I couldn't really answer that. But the drop rate for Radiants is pretty bad as it is, and for players trying to reach the Champion rank, farming Shining crystals is quite a pain too. This would give players something to do with their excess Warm/Glowing crystals and 5* players something to do with excess Shinings.
This is a good suggestion with a decent crown sink. It needs to make running the arcade a more viable option, but if you want speed you pay. Something like 5 lower level crystals for 1 of a higher level crystal, and 400 crowns for 4-5* crown fee that decreases by 50 for every star level. You would need 15 shining fire crystals and 1200 crowns for every 3 radiants (AKA, a single prizebox in the clockworks).
At the same time, this should also make buying from the supply depot be nicer on your wallet, if just so slightly.
Or replace all types of crystal with just 1 kind of crystal.
Or increase the success rate of the 1/3 and 2/3 options.
Or make crystal consumption linear.
Or make crystals cheaper.
Or make heat amps pull their weight.
Or just drop more crystals.
Or just nuke crystals altogether.
Or ...
There are plenty of ways to solve the 'radiant problem', but the real problem is whether or not the administration considers it as a problem to be solved at all. Don't forget that the current situation is one of their design.
If you just want to purge your inventory of tier 1 and 2 crystals, then suggest the ability to sell them to NPC's. Trying to level up 5* gear using lower star crystals might sound feasible, but only if you acquire tens of thousands of them on a regular basis. At the proposed 10:3 ratio, to make 450 Radiants you would need 1500 Shinings (might be OK), 5000 Glowings (not worth it) or 16667 Warms (wut). Even with a better ratio (5:3) consuming tier 1/2 crystals is an act of inventory clearing, not sustainable forging.
For what it's worth, I was perfectly fine using the down-craft recipes when they came out initially. I doubt anyone uses them at all anymore.
The problem with up-crafting is that it removes the need to actually play T3 content ever. You could just sit and farm T2 runs all day and collect enough crystals and money for Eternal orbs to make it to 5* without ever setting foot past D17.
The ranking system already doesn't allow that though. You have to reach a certain rank before you are allowed to equip 5* items. The game makes you earn the RIGHT to use them.
Here are my suggestions for altering the system:
1. Reduce the overall costs of fire crystals for level ups. No more of this "30 Radiants for a single level up."
OR
2. Increase the Drop Rate of Crystals and Orbs, and edit the way they drop. Stratum 6 should ONLY drop Eternal Orbs and Radiant Crystals.
OR
3. Reduce the cost of crafting to a single orb, since that is all you will often find in a run anyway, and keep the Crystals as is.
OR
4. Increase the drops of crystals from boxes to 6 and orbs to 3.
Any of these changes, I think, the game would feel significantly less "farmy" than it does now.
Oh god please yes. I have so many Warm Crystals, I don't even know what to do with them.
Also, I remember this was suggested sometime last month.