I've said this more times than I can count. I've shouted it from the rooftops. It goes largely ignored: Bungie wants no competition with Year 2 gear. None. They don't want to give us a choice on the off chance that Year 2 gear sucks and we have the fall back option of ascending Year 1 gear. They want no competition. No competition means Year 2 gear can suck and it will still be more powerful than Year 1. It puts no burden on Bungie to make better gear, just more powerful gear which is as easy as adjusting code. If Year 2 gear sucks and if we were able to ascend Year 1 gear and if players went back to Year 1 gear then Bungie would look really bad and really stupid. It would make Bungie look impotent. They would seem unable to duplicate the success of Year 1 gear. Year 1 is being left behind because it was a paid beta. Year 1 gear is being left behind because Bungie doesn't want to appear impotent. A "1 Hit Wonder" of sorts. No competition means players will choose Year 2 gear simply because it's more powerful even if we think the gear, as a whole, sucks on ice.