What would you suggest to a new player to start as?
I think Striker is a really easy class to get into and get rolling. They have decent sustain and just kinda prepare you for the game at large.
I personally main'd and began as a Berserker. It's good in that it has a shitload of fight resets / heal over times, but it requires knowing how to execute grab chains and such at a certain point to be a threat so that hampers it being as straightforward.
Gave all my friends aneurysms in PVP though so it has that going for it.