I think the issue was because you followed guides. The first experience on D2 often are great to experience new stuff, is fine getting some tips. But when you start following one build you, most of the time, donât learn the class and neither the game.
In earlier days of d2, following guides could be game changing because you couldnât re-spec. But later they implemented several QoL changes. So my advice, in your first run on a class explore all skills(one point each). You could go through normal difficulty really fine and learn the class really well.
Then use your first re-spec on a build that you liked. You could go through nightmare just fine. Then on the last re-spec you should follow guides, because you canât mess the build anymore and your chances to experiment are ended. If you learn enough you can sort things out and make a 3rd experimental one but being a bit conservative one.
On normal you have the thrilling of the discovery, on Nightmare youâre experienced in some ways but you can handle it with almost anything you want to try. On hell things gets more trickier and would make your build workable or useless.
Normal is about learn the game, nightmare is about test how well you learned the game and hell is about manage to survive and surpass your foes, some will play META others will sort things out to make things âworkableâ.
Like you said, Die-hard SSF, my advice would be pick useful hints but donât blindly follow the guides, guides are optimized ways to play, but for starters are really bad. Because you will not have deep understanding about the class neither the skills themselves.
D2 was really punitive at beginning, with patches and expansion became really forgiving game. You have 2 chances to make mistakes and then, sort things out at the end. You could re-spec afterwards farming bosses but you really need a decent build to be able to do it.
The only difference between a good build and optimized build is about time. If your build canât work on hell, most likely werenât a great build for it. Thatâs why is important to experiment on normal and nightmare how to play and test it out on hell.
The endgame is about farming gear on particular spots, but you donât need to follow guides blindly. You can sort stuff out on the go and adapt your gear for it.
Thatâs why I think you got bored on nightmare. My advice would test things out before fully commit to a endgame build. Experienced players already adapt on the go, starters should start learning the game not specific build. Optimized builds arenât fun are just optimized.