I don't particularly mind, honestly. The way I like to think of it is that it's almost like we've got seasons; the story and universe itself progresses, but there's always a starting line and pretty much everyone ends up starting at the same point and then working upwards to be at the top again. I don't think it'd be fun if 9 years from now we've got everyone with Fatebringers still outperforming the guys who now can't get it any more (by the end of the franchise I'd be surprised if they keep the original game up) simply for being there early on. That kind of insurmountable gap goes beyond "cool perks for being a vet." Rather than that, I actually really like the way they're handling it with special identifiers like emblems, shaders, etc. for year one players. While keeping us within the same unified playerbase on the same ground as everyone else who joins us in the next few years(there'll be a lot, there's no denying it if Destiny continues to get better over its lifespan), it's a way to say, "I've got experience and I probably know what I'm talking about." This is just my feelings as someone used to throwing away every weapon he's got for something better in any MMO or even normal RPG's. Is the only thing that a year's worth of effort and playtime got you some overpowered gun? No. You got experience. You got knowledge, good memories, and probably a healthy interest in the world if you've stuck around in it this long. Some of us even got an exercise in patience or firsthand exposure to how people can be asshats. I remember when I would go into a mission alone and by the end I had a full Fireteam because I ran into others doing it and all it took was some invites getting sent, and banding together that way was how I got through the game for the first time. This game's made and completely broken a few good friendships for me, and my friends list has quadrupled in size since I picked it up. I wasted I don't know how many hours trying desperately to get the armor pieces I needed back in the VoG days. Looking back over the past year, I don't think there's a single thing I've said, done or heard that I really wish hadn't happened. That's a pretty hard thing for a game to give, especially one that got such bad press on release. So yeah, I'll clear out my vault a bit and take the goodbye with open arms. I'll have fun messing around, I'll learn the new raid, and I'll explore the shit out of every corner the Dreadnaught's got. I know the game and going forward I can be more efficient than the newer players, I can get to know about how everything in the game links together and I can hopefully give them reasons to enjoy the game the way I have. That's what my first year of Destiny has led up to and that's what that stupid-ass black tiger stripe pattern means to me.