I absolutely love the Paladin class, and the idea of a holy and righteous warrior shining as a beacon of light in a darkened world. That said, I do feel that the Paladin occupies a certain conceptual space, in such a way that it pushes out a broader idea of a divine champion or holy warrior, one that would include the paladin as a roleplaying option, but open it up to other forms of divine champion that aren't limited to the paladin or it's dark (or rebellious) reflections. I see that's not the direction that the developers are going, and that's fine, but I do think a broader class with the paladin as a specific roleplaying option (possibly with an archetype or class feats) would benefit the system more.