Role can be an important factor in choosing a class, but so can asthetic style, and of course playstyle. I wanted nothing to do with TRP when I started but I determined to try everything on the side my guild was going into, and now I am stuck on the trooper.
If you know you want to be a tank the good news is you only have to play two classes to find out, and one has the force power type so you are allready less likely to choose it.
But for the record. with the short range attacks you still are standing a bit away from the guy it feels like shotgun range to me.