Question for GC

We do take them into consideration. For example, we do put some thought into the structure of the talent trees based on when classes get new abilities. Part of the whole design of hierloom items was to give players who have reached max level a reason to go try another (for some of us, yet another) class.

We don't spend much effort balancing PvP or PvE for levels below the max level, since nearly all player balance concerns are about max level.

Q u o t e:
The development team should at least make a cursory glance at the situation in bracket pvp. They might be surprised.

We do, but by a gigantic majority of players PvP at max level and it would be negligent on our part not to spend the majority of our effort there.