Even if we didn’t play it during beta and no word on that class being included in the game at all, I don’t think the paladin class is going to be discontinued, there was way too much lore in the franchise for this to happen.
So here is what I am suggesting which by the way can be applied to the other classes as well.
Paladin should be a core class which later into the game can split into either crusader or templar. I don’t know which is better for when this is to happen at a certain level or at a certain season after which it would be a permanent feature of the game! So you start as a paladin and then you have to make the choice “crusader” or “templar”. Both the templar and the crusader will have a set of skills and talents that would carry over from the paladin and they will be common for both, and yet they will also have their own, unique, as soon as the player chooses to go this way or that way. Kind of like the specs in WoW, except that branching would happen much later AND after branching each branch will acquire unique skills and not a single one that would be used by both. Also, while I support the free respecting, once you chose a branch it should be set in stone, so the char can’t switch between crusader and templar, the only way to do that is to create a new char. Kind of make sense lore wise - once you commit to a certain “doctrine” you are stuck with it.
Now this could be applied to the other classes. There was a conversation between my sorc and the enchatress during which my sorce said to her “We the mages…yada yada”. So now there is a lore reason to have the mage core class which would branch into a sorcerer/ress and an enchanter/ress and maybe even wizard from D1!
Rogues can become Demon Hunters and Assassins, and so on with the rest of the classes.
I’ll take the wiz of D1 anytime because just farming books to get stronger is a piece of cake and I can learn whatever I want without skilltwig restrictions ^^.
Then again on a more serious note… hopefully nothing of what you wrote will happen because i would totaly dislike it. Just a matter of taste and sweeping game changes that are… meh.
I’ve always said that D4 Paladin’s unique class mechanic could very well be: “Oaths”
As in DnD, you take an oath (which is kind of synonymous with Paladin lore) and you branch into a discrete subclass.
Regarding Wizard:
I know this will never ever happen, but Iwould have the Wizard of D4 take inspiration from Dota’s Invoker. Basically you have to learn this class- input codes of 3 elements to conjure utility spells.
There is a distinction between Sorc and Wizard here.
For the Wizard I envision a hot bar that can host 20 spells depending on the quick code input by the player- and is rooted in leylines and incantations, long term spells and utility skills like suspending the party to avoid boss mechanics.
OBVIOUSLY this is not everyone’s cup of tea, but Invoker is incredibly popular in the hero roster, for how hard he is to play, even though he is nuke-focused.
A Wizard being more quirky and utility-focused would be a dealbreaker for many players
From what I got from leaks is that the next class will most likely be a Valkyrie (mix of an Amazon and Paladin). The character looked like the Amazon from Diablo 2 but decked out like a Paladin with a holy aura. I could be wrong on my interpretation but this seems to be the most logical possibility.
Weapon: 1 handed spear // 2 handed spear
Offhand: Shield (if 1 handed) or nothing for 2 handed spear
Skills: Clone of self, Spear attacks, and possibly a shield bash if using shield. Some potential holy auras as well.
Again, I could be wrong with reading into the new class but as I said before it seems to be the most logical possibility from what was shown.
EDIT: They could use a dual name for this and the male name being Paladin with the female name being Valkyrie. Only time will tell though.
I don’t want a toon that only exists because of plot armor. A “unholy” class that is truely unholy would be toast in act 1 story ark. Let’s call it fallen or something like that what makes it a tad bit more “realistic”, loosly used term in the case of a fantasy game, so we don’t get roasted by an angel with a midlifecrisis or his lackys.
hmmm 10 days ago i mentioned unholy type knight and now its seems to be the latest hype. I wish I could predict winning lotto numbers like this (before it was another 2 weeks ago before it was annouced another server beta test weekend)… hmmmm Do I have a screte connection inside Blizzard?..
who could it possibly be…
Could it be… SATAN!?! (church chat lady voice) hahah
Why are people so obsessed with the paladin, I would rather want to have a complete new class than getting an other recycled class, the classes we are having now in diablo 4 are all recycled old classes.
I would not mind an eastern themed spear wielding Dragon Knight. But since I think this is almost impossible then Paladin/crusader is better than nothing haha