"I think most of the problems could be averted in terms of exp gain simply by removing a players level as a primary factor for resistance. If things were based primarily on stats, it wouldn't matter as much what level you were,"

That would make race an all-important factor, to a silly large degree. Even more so than now. not to mention making stats... Well, no. It would make it so any variance at all would be so very completely suicidal.