I agree with your story remarks, but honestly, I feel TOR is even easier than WoW.
I am level 18, and I think I died once outside of PvP, including Flashpoints.
Remember wiping a lot more than that in wailing caverns due to bad pull. One of the reasons flashpoints ( so far ) are easier, is because groups of mob appear one at a time, so you cannot actually pull 2, even if you wanted.