FWIW, Since I know I used to be a loud and obnoxious voice on this forum (now I'm only obnoxious) I never played version 1. I came at the tail end of the exodus, and was around when Conte bolted. I began as a WIS sympathizer, but slowly I have evolved to the point where I side with most long term coaches. You see, everything about version 1 wasn't superior to version 2, but on the whole it was better.
There is nothing I want more than for GD to be vibrant again, but the glory days that existed before me are gone. If the game can't return to the cause/effect relationship that it had in 1.0, there will be no return to that age.