I was planning on playing a Deadeye because I pretty much always play ranged characters. After trying it out for a little while, though, I just didn't care for the weapon switching mechanic. You have to be pretty accurate about the range and which weapon you're using to maximize damage, which is tough when things are moving around a lot. Deleted character.
So then I tried Paladin, which was pretty straightforward. IMHO, this is a balanced class with good damage and support but something about it was kind of boring to me. Just run up and blast stuff with your big sword. Definitely keeping this as an alt though.
Then I tried Artillerist. This was a blast to play! A massive gun with lots of explosions, what's not to like? But turned out to be a bit of a glass cannon. I had real trouble with the very first boss you run into. For example, when you charge up the special ability and hit Z, you turn into a stationary artillery platform. Which is great for groups, I'm sure, but I found that not to be not so good for mobility when fighting a boss solo. Keeping this one as well but probably will focus on group content with it.
Finally, I created a Striker and this is probably going to be my main now. Lots of mobility, good damage though maybe not top tier, and seems to have more survivability than the Artillerist. I surprised myself that a melee class turns out to be my favorite.