"Nothing to look forward to?"
But, like, what about, like, the, err, *adventures* you are going on?
Is "levelling up" really the whole point of the game?
This is one thing that I noticed with 3.x that really bothered me. The focus of the game ceased to be going on adventures, and instead became "levelling up." With 4e and its huge emphasis on powers and combat, this trend will probably only increase.
Back in the day, completing an adventure was its own reward. Of course there was XP and levels, but it wasn't the whole *point* of the game like it is now.
Pre-4e (and often pre-3.x)---> Dungeon exploration, going on adventures
4e (and some 3.x)--->Combat, building a character, levelling up