I've asked this question to raid groups, friends, my wife who doesn't play, and anyone else who will listen. I still haven't gotten a satisfying answer. "It's just an average of the light from your gear..." so many people are quick to say. Great. Thanks. I know how light is COMPUTED, what I want is a connection between that number, and the damage I deal (or take) in the game. Follow-up questions to which I've also not received satisfactory answers: 1. Under what circumstances is it right to use a superior weapon, even if it drops your light level. I'm pretty sure it's mathematically possible to hit 300 light with Gjallarhorn equipped (in fact I'm sure of it). Would Ghorn deal damage based on your overall light level, or would it do nothing because it's light is so low? Most common answer: "Well you're probably going to want to use the best weapons you can." Thanks. 2. Same question for armor. Suppose I really like the perks on an old 170 chest piece. Will I take significant extra damage if my light averages to 300, as compared with someone who is also 300, but is using armor that ALL has 300 light? 3. I know that Bungie posted a graph (which appeared to be both upside-down, and backwards to us students of mathematics), which claimed to explain the difference in damage in Iron Banner based on the difference in light level, but I couldn't really read it. Feel free to explain it as if I were a child. But still: Knowledge about relative differences in light are useful, but knowledge about what the numbers MEAN is what I'm after. 4. A level-40 character at 190 light can walk into the Court of Oryx, and all the enemies will appear with ??? as their level. If light is the only thing that matters anymore when it comes to fighting enemies, why do we waste valuable space on the screen reporting the level, which is meaningless? Don't get me wrong. I like Destiny. I probably wouldn't care enough to ask these questions if I didn't. All constructive replies will be greatly appreciated.