A new purpose for ancient shards

[low reef]

the shard exchange system is something that should be look at, since those are literally irrelevant after getting emberlight, if not for for a set amount, give it a 1/100 or 1/200 chance for a totem piece after sacrificing it to the dark altar instead of a teleport from it

[rocky vine]

Multiple devs have commented on this topic before over the years with noting every coming of it. The main take away is the devs do NOT want to implement a way to convert shards to totem pieces, they have openly said this. They don't want people to be able to farm Skotizo any faster than what is currently avaliable. Those last 2 sentences are paraphrased from something mod Kieren said in a video about 6 months ago. He did offer one suggestion being that you could maybe convert the shards into a small amount of prayer xp. My suggestion is allow us to perminantly unlock each tele location once we use a shards to tp there for the first time(makes the TPs much more attractive). Excess shards we should be able to crush giving a full prayer bar and some token prayer xp(only works while in the catacombs)

[devout rune]

Here's some ideas I just spewed off the top of my head just chatting, I think the devs could look into making any of them possible. Perhaps this "ability" could be unlocked when they continue the Kourend main quest.

Potential ancient shard applications:

• Allows teleportation to catacombs from anywhere in the world. Perhaps in the form of small shard pillars (?) placed in the catacombs (N/E/S/W) (total of 4 locations).
• Use as a consumable for Thralls. 1 Ancient shard lets you cast 50 thrall spells without the associated rune cost (still need to be on Arceuus). People will want to have these for saving rune pouch slots for other runes. Similar notion as Aether runes to save inventory space.
• Use as a consumable enhancer when casting Arceuus spells. This would be the biggest undertaking so perhaps use it for utility spells (provides following effects up to 50 casts):
• Shadow Veil - extends duration by 15s / improves effectiveness by 5%
• Vile Vigour - convert ratio 1:1.5 up from 1:1
• Resurrect Crops - increases resurrection chances / prevents the crop from being cleared out on fail
• Demonic/Sinister Offering - Adds extra 10-25% xp per bone/ashes (310-325% up from 300%)

The main point is that they're a semi-rare drop. They shouldn't become useless just because the player has progressed to a certain point (having an Emberlight).

[haughty wave]

Nah they’re way too rare to have actual spell buffs

[devout rune]

them being too rare is not an argument against their potential usefulness. You can always introduce more sources or adjust rates.
Granted they probably won't do that, since they rarely do so. Even so, just updating it for more useful teleporting would be a good update. They're just completely useless otherwise.

[haughty wave]

If you buff the rates to the point where you use them as a spell consumable, then you might as well not have them in the first place lmao because then the arclight is just instantly free and has unlimited charges even before you upgrade it to emberlight.

[devout rune]

I thought about that, but Arclight could be included in the "adjust rates". E.g. 1 shard is 100 charges (rather than current 333).
I personally wouldn't do that, I just replied to you because you can always find a way out of the posed problems, it's just a matter of how feasible it is. A simple "fix" can become a large undertaking after all.

Once again, I'd just like to reiterate, the ideas for what the shard could do are just that, ideas. The main point is that the shards should have a use, a realistic one.
If they do update it like Kieren mentioned, giving prayer xp, I wouldn't mind that either.

Though I will say, I like the thematic compatibility of having ancient shards synergize with arceuus spellbook. Feels very fitting.

[haughty wave]

I’ll be real I don’t even think they need a use, there’s plenty of things you get that stop benefitting you after a certain point in this game

[devout rune]

Those things should stop being dropped if they're useless. Otherwise the developer should make them useful. Even if it's a somewhat small use.
Speaking of, what other things are there that are untradeable like that and completely useless?

Ancient shards get mentioned so much mostly because they're semi-rare and it's a crystal, so people expect something useful.
Most rare drops can usually be sold in GE or put in Death's Coffer. Can't really do that with ancient shards.

[fierce oracle]

You can use them to teleport. So technically they have a function. It’s not a useful one, but it exists

[haughty wave]

Maybe just make them charge the altar in the middle with more teleports (as in, multiple, at a quantity determined separately) each and update the teleport destinations, so you don’t have to carry them with you and they actually get used more.

One lesser concern as well is that if they do suddenly have a use, many people right now probably have been dropping them, not picking them up, or even using them to teleport and would not have ancient shards for their use, so they would either need to become absurdly common, or have such a weak effect (like the teleport) that nobody is “missing out” on not having shards.

I also think that “forcing” people to upkeep ancient shards in particular as a consumable is pretty awful since they kinda really suck to target farm, and I feel like there’s already a huge amount of resources to upkeep