Well, I don't want to shatter your hopes, but I don't see very good chances for both.

Number one is likely not high on CNE's priority list to consider. If I remember right, Erika has mentioned that this might be something they look into, I don't think this is a change in game logic which might come through talents, if it might come, though.

As for your second hope, CNE has positioned themselves clearly so far. The need to have all slots filled with crusaders is part of the missions design. And I am very much ok with it. And to be honest, if you don't have either the maximum of available crusaders or nearly that, chances are good, you probably won't be in the target player demographic for Tier 4.

As for wild speculations. If they don't change their routine, a maximum of 9 Talents will be introduced. Some of these talents will cover what players so desperately want since the introduction of T3 Talents - either a further increase of Level cap or its complete destruction. Since CNE very likely doesn't want to get rid of the corresponding T3 Talent, it might be another increase. Also some of it might be easily thinkable since the introduction of legendary items and the existing talent, increasing DPS for each epic item.

My wild speculation (aka wish list):

Utility tree
* button to sort potential crusaders to send on mission by EP
* raise the level cap
* unlock tier 4 objectives

Passive tree
* enhancing the level 200 abilities in some way
* decrease monsters health by 1% per talent level
* for each legendary level on a Crusader's gear DPS goes up by 5% per talent level, legendary levels would be additive across all slots.

Active Tree:
* warps can now affect mission times, thus allow players an out from long missions but having to make a sacrifice to do it
* gold mission now award event items while there is an event going in corresponding amount to the amount of gold you receive from said mission and not how long you crusaders are gone
* increase chances of getting epic recipe missions

Tier 4 talents seem like an eventuality to me, but I will not be holding my breath for them. That "coming soon" sign might be there for several months.

Good point on the monster health, I was just casting about for something to fill in the empty spot and that was what came to mind, really didn't stop to think on it too much.

For that matter the one to increase epic recipe mission would be impractical for CNE from a business standpoint. The weighting is already pretty heavy on them.

The only one that makes sense from a business standpoint in my suggested active tree is the one to allow warps to affect mission times. Since warps are exclusive to JCs.

Some random ideas (along with random name-ideas):

ACTIVE
*** Reaper (Missing Tier 3 talent) - "Getting kills with clicks gives you a X% chance for that enemy to drop 2 quest items, or to count as 2 kills."
Heavily rewards you for active gameplay: If you are active with clicks, you progress faster! (Yes, this is Act of Congress in talentform, but I think it's highly fitting to rewards active gameplay in a fashion like this)

*** Hyperactivity - "Increases your DPS by X% for each active ability which is on cooldown. The DPS increase of each used ability is further multiplicatively increased by 2% per how many percent its base cooldown has been reduced by via trinkets/gear."
This promotes heavy use of abilities. And that extra "cooldown-reduction-gear/trinket-empowerement"-thing is to make sure that there is less dissynergy with cooldown reductions.
To explain:
Let's say this talent gives you 50% dps per active ability on cooldown. Let's then say you use Firestorm. Since you, as an example, have trinkets and gear which reduces Firestorm's cooldown by a total of 75% (that would be having reached the cap on the CD-trinkets + the Epic gear), the DPS-boost is now further empowered by 75*2=150% , making it grant you 50 * 2,5 = 125% DPS boost!

*** Vortex Clicks - "Where you last clicked/tapped, you create a field (with whatever radius) which causes enemies who remain in it to be slowed down by X% and have their damage dealt reduced by Y%. The field is removed when you change area"
Utility via clicking could be useful, no?

*** Gold Storm - "Adds a new active ability - Gold Storm. Gold Storm let's you attack enemies with your money. Using it spends 10% of your current gold, dealing damage equal to X% of gold spent, to all enemies on the screen. 30 SECOND cooldown".
While maybe not the best way to solve an issue, I still think SOMETHING that helps keeping goldgainers relevant even when you can't spend more gold on Crusader levels (or whenever you wish, really), seemed like an interesting idea.
Yes, this is indeed inspired by Final Fantasy V's Giltoss ability! :D


PASSIVE
*** Legendary Power - Something related to getting more DPS via having Legendary gear
Seems to be fitting, as they have already before had new talents related to recent features (such as the mission talents)

*** Ultimate Enchantment - "When a Crusader learns their "@200 + every 25 levels = 4x damage"-ability, they also provide a global dps increase based on their total amount of Enchantment Points. For every 500 Enchantment Points they have (includes those that they get from their same-seat Crusaders), global DPS is increased by X%."
This talent fixes 2 problems at once: EPs are now valuable even on non-DPSers, and so is their "200/25=4x"-ability!
Furthmore, it also synergizes very well with the "Sharing is Caring" talent.

*** The Journey is What Counts - "Increases your DPS by X% times the highest area you have ever completed!"
Simple passive, which incentivizes you to break personal records!


UTILITY
*** Killing Floor - "In relation to overkill damage, enemy spawn speed is increased by up to X%."
This helps with speeding up your farming, without making it difficult on high level areas (since then you won't overkill them, which means they will spawn at normal speed)

*** Loot Master - "Reduces the time before gold- and quest-items are automatically picked up by X%."
Further helps with farming or doing quests which require more clicking attention.

*** Fourth Time's The Charm? - Unlocks tier 4 missions, perhaps?