Yes the game, in the basic, relies in DPS. Spoiler, every combat video game does.
My “best” toon is a Fire Fire Fire Blaster. I can tank 4/8 ITFs on it. DPS wins. I play it regularly, it is not my main.
My main is a Dark Dark Corruptor that is what I think my Snarky Vampire would be in game.
What this game is, to me, is creating the characters in my head. Not massive DPS or “beating da game” or w/e. Badges are a fun group activity, and being helpful to the team is cool. But it is seeing my creations in game is the huge win.