I got a $7 D30 square, cut it to size and glued it into my FT4 Pro shinnies...they are just about as protective as my AS1's (whichhavesaved my Canadien bacon on many occasions.
There are a lot of ways to improve gear that don't require another $200 expenditure. If you're a strong player...shaving a dozen grams is not why I would change up. Bulk is another story...I love the HP45 pants, but I will say, my FT4 Pro's are much slimmer and very close in protection to the point where I don't even consider that.
We've had the discussion...IMO...current release cycles are too short, unnecessary, and irresponsible. But...that's kind of the world now, and I can't find another one so...guess I'll just go for the ride.