I actually like how FFXIV does the level sync, despite some side-annoyances.
- In most other games, and even in FFXIV V1, people "leech" XP by joining higher leveled parties and then just getting carried for the entire run. The level sync cuts both ways in preventing "carries" and preventing "zerg rush" in the low level content. it could be improved by using the iLevel of the gear as both a minimum and a maximum on all dungeons. That way you're not doing a dungeon with a level 49 tank who decided to remove all his gear.

- The skill palette thing is one of those side-annoyances. Put your AOE (eg blizzard II) in the first slot and the put everything that you could possible need beside it for dungeons of that level. eg, as a healer, you can't cast resurrect anyway in the first few dungeons, so I moved swiftcast to the second slot, and put blizzard II in the first slot even though I almost never use it, and does almost no damage. However during FATE's that's the only option to tag all the mobs, since Aero has a CD between casts.

It will be interesting to see what will happen in V3. Will they create more Duty Roulettes, or tack on new dungeons to the Extreme roulettes?