I think the real problem is people believe MMOs are sandboxes and restrictions or requirements = bad. No, SE didn't take the easy way out instead of balancing around a bad system, they turned it into a system that's been in MMOs, let alone RPGs, for decades.

I can promise that if I go into another MMO at this point in time I won't be able to wear gear tailored to Mages as a Ranged DD or some type of Warrior.

I can also promise that it won't allow me to wear gear because:

A. I don't have the stats to
or
B. I'm not of level.

Allowing "absolute freedom" can't be balanced, no matter how badly people wish to think it can be -- It just can't be. They could have balanced the scaling, but then what's the purpose of levels? Why even attach levels to gear? Why even have different classes at all?