I don't think your OOCly level is that big of a deal if it's been agreed upon by everyone you RP with that is doesn't matter. For instance, I play bad guys for my FC, but all of them have only been level 23 or so. It was agreed by everyone to treat them to be at a certain power level. For instance, my Garlean was pretty strong but mostly relied on Garlean weaponry to survive while my Voidsent was VERY powerful. These were bad guys though, so it was good to get the FCs permission first. For player character, I personally never look at a characters level.
To me, there's a big difference between the world of FFXIV and the "Meta-game" of FFXIV. The Meta game is, of course, levels, being able to play any job, Fantasia potions, raiding in Coil, the Lightning Event, things are are there for ooc purposes and mechanics, while the "World" of FFXIV is how the characters live in it. Those are two very different things and I think they need to stay separate.
To me, there's a big difference between the world of FFXIV and the "Meta-game" of FFXIV. The Meta game is, of course, levels, being able to play any job, Fantasia potions, raiding in Coil, the Lightning Event, things are are there for ooc purposes and mechanics, while the "World" of FFXIV is how the characters live in it. Those are two very different things and I think they need to stay separate.