That's part of the risk developers take when they make a game with player contribution and longevity in mind. It works the same with a lot of MMOs. I was terrified to get into EVE as late in the game as it is because there were so many more advanced players than me; how would a newbie like me stand a chance against pirates and trolls? Similarly if you join any MMORPG you inevitably run into power-players who have lots of high-level characters and expect everyone else to know what they're doing. That said, I feel like Bungie knows that risk and they won't subject their players to punishment for not being the first wave of fans racing home with midnight release preorders. We just need some more details on how the shared-world plays, that's all.