I think for the most dedicated fans the game really starts the moment you first boot up the game…
But no, you do have a point, the metagame of how to refine your character at 20th level is an important aspect of the game, and something that I appreciate about Brink as opposed to many FPS games where once you reach the “level cap” you basically are forced to start over if you want to progress anymore, or all you get to play around with some basic combinations that you already tried and tossed out, or you get some uber-gun. So the fact that you have numerous combo’s to try in Brink at the level cap is refreshing.
I just also like the process of getting to the level cap and hope that it is not too quick of a journey. Playing characters that do not have all the bells and whistles can be a very enjoyabloe aspect of the game.