Quote:So what's the best new method?
For all that I like crunching numbers, I haven't dived head first into the optimal path for crafting.
Until level 30, the shards required per level for unbound crafting is almost linear and only shoots up like a quadratic function after that.
Unbound crafting is more expensive when you compare the same shards, but unbound shards are cheaper when you compare level x unbound to level x bound.
It looks to me at first glance that unbound crafting until you run out of shards that cost 3 greater essences that are 10ish levels above your crafting level and then you can bounce back and forth between the two, looking for whatever cheap shards are available until level 30-ish. From that point on, unbound crafting is going to be a whole lot cheaper most of the time.
There are still some exceptionally cheap shards for their level in unbound crafting even at higher level, so keep your eyes peeled for those as well (generally the Ardor/Beatitude/Inferno/etc).
Also, since you are going to have to craft Shards of Potential anyway, make sure that you craft them while you are leveling. No sense in throwing away XP by waiting until you have leveled way past them to craft something that you're going to need anyway. Same for Holy, Pure Good and desireable Bane suffixes (even if they are "too expensive" to craft for XP). Might as well get XP for something that you are going to craft eventually anyway.