First of all you are assuming many things in your statement. As far as we know ranks get no benefits.
Second of all your scenario would never happen. As i understand it level and rank are two separate things. When you are rping with someone you don't get to "see" there level, rping is about interacting like you are your character, in their head, seeing what they see. How are you gonna go up to someone and be like "Oh hey you are level 1?" In a RP? It doesn't make sense.
As for wiping again and again i have highlighted what akiro said earlier in the thread
To me your post just sounds like whining over the game being wiped.