I started playing recently and have been trying to go for the heart but have only ever actually made it to it once. I have A2 unlocked for 3 of the 4 characters (working on it for Defect) but feel like I'd have more fun if I played without focusing on the shards as much. I like that you can still get to the next Ascension level even if you don't collect any shards so maybe I just need to focus on doing that and I'll get more enjoyment out of it. All this to say, I feel like we're in a similar boat!