The beauty of this game is that it allows us to play exactly how we want. It's one of the most free flowing mmos in history. With no content you absolutely must do.
Compare this to FFXIV (which I also love) where there are some dungeons you MUST DO to progress in the storylline, if you want to get the full story of the game.
I"m glad for a game like FFXIV and for a game like COH.
I'm also glad that I can pl my way to 50 if I want or play a character to 50 if I want. Neither way is wrong.
/shrug