Thoughts on (Rumored) Shard Exchange

I doubt if trading were implemented that it would be anywhere near a 1:1 trade. It would most likely be an extremely difficult trade (10:1 or worse)

My personal balance would be a tiered approach

1. Chromium only characters could be "re-gambled. " Basically you turn them back in and a matching amount of shards would be returned. (With a small, reasonable crystal cost, maybe 25 or 50 max)
3. Farmable in maps 1-3 and/or "faster" farmed heroes would trade in with a higher per shard cost. So maybe 5:1 or higher.
4. Harder farms would trade in closer to 1:1 and I think 1:2 or 1:3 would be fair(ish)
5. "Last seasons" chromium only heroes could be traded also, giving f2p players access to some of the chromium only heroes, just a bit after the p2p.

The goal here is a compromise for the players and EA. You still incentivize your P2P because they would still have a reason to gamble in chromium packs and be more likely to do so knowing that they can recycle the unused shards.

For F2P players, they may potentially save up crystals for chromium knowing that it won't be a total waste. They could also farm out older chromium heroes and compete well, if a bit slower.

In my opinion, the main benefits to paying players should revolve around a faster/shorter grind and vanity options. Beyond that, the two sides need to be roughly equal.