Imo OP should try grim dawn and last epoch. Even at maxed out gears, some of which 100x rarer than a ber rune, still easily lose out to bosses.
Torchlight 2 with NG+ system is also worth trying, because of quasi-infinite difficulty scaling.
In fact, for D2 dev can easily crank up numbers by introducing more difficulties, just that quests no longer give rewards beyond hell, except for some exp.
also fate(the first pre Torchlight) is very hard . i think Travis Baldree make this game alone not sure
Looks like its time to come over to pvp and get them cheeks clapped.
Did you farm all that stuff yourself? If not then you know where the problem lies. No reason to QQ.
D2 pvp is the granddaddy to mobas and mmo pvp. It’s one of the first games where you can have pvp on an rpg type of game. You’re making the argument that a modern car has better features than classic cars. No duh, there’s decades of advancement but it doesn’t change the fact that the classic pave the way for it.
This is why I avoid builds that are already optimized by others - at a certain point you are just rolling over things.
Instead I did challenge builds like “Mediocremancer” where I tried playing the game as a Necromancer without any spells on Hardcore, Players 8 no muling/passing items. Even on Normal Mode it was a challenge but it was a lot of fun. Here was my fight with Diablo where I stopped after it got too stressful lol. https://www.reddit.com/r/diablo2/comments/bec26u/mediocremancer_vs_diablohilarity_ensues_volume/
no it should not. wth…
they already did that. in the result is stupid d3. no thx. “crank up numbers” is the only thing this dev can…
Nope, the thrill is in the chase of the godly gear. Once you have it, you blow through everything. If it’s not for you, then move on. No one plays D2 for its challenge unless you’re speed running. You will fail at that, so go ahead and try.
Go make a softcore character offline. SSF. And set the slider to p8 and leave it there. Then make a character and beat the game. No importing gear, or using hero editors. And there is no trade. Just you vs P8 with what you can find. This game is repetitive but it is as challenging as you want to make it. It will take you hours of farming and leveling just to beat the Den of Evil, the first quest in Act I normal and you will have to strategize well to do it.
Since you only have online characters it will be a fresh start. You won’t have any crutches to get through the content. Then come tell us how easy this game is.
In fact only a few builds at all can even effectively play in /p8 Hell on single player. And generally not until they are 90+ with good gear. Hammerdins and Javazons being the most notable exception but it is still challenging for them.
Looks like youve gotten the responce for the question you asked, regardless if its what you like or not. Just a remake of a 20 year old game.
1- Play single player, get it all yourself without the internet (trading or buying) NoX was 2000.
2- Play PvP
3- Create your own builds, stray away from the “cookie cutters”, likewise #1 applies to this aswell (although technically its too late)
4- do hardcore. Its a choice, and its apart of the game too, if its so easy… do it yourself, get all your items yourself and dont die. Your main battle is RNG. Your choice, no one is forcing you, but thats apart of it too, they arent wrong.
Its not dark souls, but it is dark souls. If youve played D2R from NoX D2, its basically the same. Have you done a level 1 run on dark souls? If you know the game inside out, you dont need to level. I beat nightmare already never using any stats or skills. Comparing this to another game is negligable at best…
Yes, you can beat the game (for what it is) relatively easily without getting full end-game perfect gear, all that is is killing hell baal. Yes, uber tristram and dclone are out there and they are behind an RNG wall. Lotta people make it easier for themselves being online and trading but that is a choice YOU choose to do, likewise hardcore or PvP.
Im not ranting either dont do online…
Its a grind and its really more meant for us NoX or at least 1.05 thru 1.08 / before ruststorm players. Not to take away from anyone else, but theres more time on a lot of us. Maybe better memories when you were a kid or whatever. Trust me, most everything and anything your asking for or want to improve this game has already been said or thought of ovee the course of its lifespan. Like stated as well, PD2 or a modded content version maybe another alternative choice.
There was a time before respects, there was even a time before “synergies” when it was different… that being said… improvements have been added to make it is how it is.
5- Play non expansion(d2rNoX), thats also still in there for a reason or another part of the game, likewise hardcore d2rNoX…
Edit: Its still just a video game, and come to think of it… this entire topic/conversation is a troll, NEXT…
this thread blew up…
anyways here is my hot take…
if you want a challenge… maybe DON’T use the best gear in the game?
like i really don’t understand the problem the OP has… this is EXACTLY whats makes d2 amazing…
if u want easy mode, if u want to farm items… you can do that. you can make the endgame best build and be crazy good…
if u want a challenge… you can limit yourself HOWEVER you see fit.
you can find a way to clear hell using the any restriction you impose on yourself. the choices are endless.
but like, that’s kinda the point if the best gear and skills in the game… its the best.
if you want a challenge… why are you purposely using the most OP things?
what kind of connotative dissidence is this??
Yeah I’m doubting you got all that gear in 3 months. But sure. Game is boring and lame when you get years of gear in 3 months. How terrible for you.
You havent reached end game gear yet, those items you listed are easy items to find or acquire. Now for real end game gear you need to start finding your 400ED + Eth Fools weapons,I only know of 1 person that even has an 350%+ ed eth fools weapon in the entire game.That my friend is truly your end game gear to find.There so hard to find theres people that will pay 40 BERS for one.It cant be any eth fools weapon either, its got to be a zerker axe or a CB.Find one of these and enigma,griffons, anni and everything all combined will look like play things compared to GG gear.Find one of these and you have true bragging rights.lol find one of these and youll end up being rich AF if you sell it too 
This is the point you try your hand at pvp, where monsters have minds and can really fight back. Incredibly challenging.
real endgame is pvp so ye
the biggest part of this game is finding the “actual” best gear. many people dont even know that in a lot of cases it is magic items and never check them b/c they got their cookie cutter eth titans. then again that level of caring about gear is for pvpers, youre likely just done with the game then
I played about 15 hours a day for about 80 days straight.
In addition, I spent several days doing nothing but studying the game.
So lets do 15 x 80 = 1200 hours
Lets say I spent 150 hours studying, thats 1200-150 = 1050 hours playtime.
Maybe it takes ‘years of playing’ to get that gear at 5 hours a week, but I was doing 3 times that a day…
This issue isn’t whether I got my money worth or not, but that I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing and would like it to continue, but its no fun (after the first 100 times) to stomp everything and Im not looking for gear pieces anymore so farming is needless…
I really, really like this game and I do not want it to end, I want harder mobs that require me to get even better rolled loot. My loot is not all maxrolled, most of it is 70% rolls.
I would love to fight mobs that give me a challenge, that would give me an incentive to get that maxroll eth titans, to get that maxroll BOTD, to get those maxroll charms, those godly crafted amulets or boots, any edge I can… but right now, no such mobs exist.
You paid for top gear, or runes / bases, at least you trade for it, nobody has all that gear just farming 3 monts.
I have All those items too, In 11 diferent characters, and i dont want any change in the game, because all that items i paid and use now for speed runs of MF will lose its valué.
“You paid for top gear, or runes / bases, at least you trade for it, nobody has all that gear just farming 3 monts.”
Trading something you find for something someone else found is nearly the same as buying gear, both are basically cheating, you are right.
Your comment is very insightful and thought-provoking. Thank you for your contribution.