Everyone should get max level. Of course the "expansion" owners would get much better gear and easier ways to gain exp or weapons, etc, but now that I know I'm being left behind completely unless I feed their greedy pockets I'm pretty through with this game. I'll wait till destiny 2 and see if they are still being their shady activision-led selves. Longtime bungie/halo fan here too, to be honest I'm not even sure how much on bungie is still the same crew from back in the old halo days