As far as your working definition is concerned, I can't be a veteran. Never had the luxury of playing the first Monster Hunter, but I got on the bandwagon when Freedom Unite came around. I'll love it when I get back to G and face fatalis again
Fun fact that a lot of people I notice online don't know: waving at the balloon gives you a temporary psychoserum effect. I actually giggled a bit when I tried it and that mechanic is still present.
But yeah, I see a lot of people are giving irrelevant advice, and I do share your sentiment on that matter.