Why DnD? That level worshipping, class based piece of shite has done its work, all copies of every version should be fired into the sun with a rocket. Call of Cthulhu would probably be a good one for representing the wax and wane of dwarven sanity.
4e is good for casual hack-and-slash games. It wouldn't really be my preferred system for much of anything else, though. 3.5 is good for epic social stuff if you like designing things, because it has pretty good rules for ships and castles and armies.
It's only level worshipping if you level PC's up too quickly. most campaigns the PC's only get to level once or twice.
I would guess that "level worshiping" is a criticism of the way the game works, rather than, as you seem to be assuming, a criticism of attitudes pervasive among players. In DnD, everything is based upon level. PCs are good at everything at high levels. They only get better at things as they progress. Glass cannons and tanks are relative terms, a 20-level wizard can outfight a dozen 1st level fighters without casting a single spell. Hardly a logical assumption, and it makes it effectively impossible to play a character with any significant flaw.
On a different note, I can't help but feel your campaigns must be tragically short. Leveling every four to five sessions seems to be the norm in 3.5, and you often level substantially quicker in 4e.