Gift of Hedone: Excess Materials

Hello you lovely deviants,

I wanted to get your thoughts on what to do with Excess Materials.

We've all been there is a game where we are just sitting with hundreds of one material not knowing what to do with it. Selling is not worth the price, dismantling feels pointless - or you just end up dropping them/destroying them.

So I am trying to think of the best way to make excess materials always feel viable - and I've currently broken into into two things.

First, its nothing special or unique - alchemy - Converting Materials into other materials. However, its alchemy, not a trade - so I plan to involve some RNG.

Essentially, you will be able to visit an Alchemist from one village and convert another region's materials into materials from their region, and depending on what rarity of material you use, it will have a range of chances to convert into others. What i mean is 9as an example - not final numbers)

You convert 10 x Old Region Common Materials into 1 x New Region Material - this would have an 75% chance to convert to the Common Material, 15% chance for the Uncommon, 7% for the Rare, 2% Precious, and 1% chance for Priceless

You convert 10 x Old Region Precious Materials into 1 x New Region Material - this would have an 35% chance to convert to the Common Material, 25% chance for the Uncommon, 20% for the Rare, 15% Precious, and 5% chance for Priceless

This system would be good whilst you are unlocking new regions - but what happens once you have all the regions, and you are now building excess resources in the final region where you don't require all these resources?

I have 2 Ideas:

1. ) You unlock the ability to convert the final region materials into experience orbs/items - so it could help level up other party members or other party members you haven't used as much.

2.) What if the final/best gear required materials from all regions - this means you would actually be able to convert your last region materials into other region materials and it would be useful. Id likely look at making their conversion higher also - (i.e more likely to convert to the rarer materials.)

Which of these two do you prefer?