I think the military analogy has done its due by now. It only goes so far.

I understand Gnaeus; in fact, I think along similar lines, though not even so roleplay-centric. But it ruins my game if I realize that all my character ever does is just pointless, because the Mighty CoDzilla could have done the same thing, possibly even better, without breaking a sweat.

It kind of reminds me of a scene of a small child trying to reach a high shelf, reaching and hopping and groaning, when all the time a grownup stands right next to it and watches with a grin before he finally gets the cookie jar from the shelf with one easy grab. That's exactly the same as a T1 char "holding back" while the T4-5s get their asses handed to them.

Note that I'm not saying the T1 char should do everything himself and take along lower tier fellows just as water-carriers who get to watch a show. Instead, all characters should be of a similar power level to begin with.