I see the OP has paid attention to the gear, and perhaps don't think it is necessary to unlock the PLD, or maybe think it is a play style.

The truth is that the PLD is much more powerful than the GLD and at level 50 most things are balanced around the capabilities of the PLD. Having the PLD capabilities (which include more health, strength, stronger enmity generation, stronger damage mitigation) is of the same importance as having the proper gear to which you have paid so much attention.

Becoming a PLD is part of the process of growing your GLD character. It is the successor of the GLD. While the game at first was supposed to make the GLD perfectly fine for all light-party content, in the end it is simply overshadowed by the PLD and there's absolutely no rational reason to use the GLD from level 30 onwards.