I would say, even though it would’ve required some work, my thought was having them add initial tool tips to D2. Like a player finds the runes to make ancients pledge, or lore, or what have you and the game pops up:
Combine rune + rune + this type of base can make Yada Yada, more recipes to discover.
Mostly one time or a few time initial messages to let new comers know.
But I agree it is 20 years old, plenty of resources out there.
You have to do something differently. The RNG will not come into your favor if you dont do something.
There is a thing we called “Magic Find”. The Topaz gem. And you would find some of your loot gear have some “Magic Find”.
I play Casual solo for now… Not multiplayer but Rares are common to me.
Let me count my total Magic Find I am wearing right now. My level 23 Paladin has a total of Magic Find = 40%. It’s mostly the Topaz on my 3-slots Chest Armor plus 6% on my Gloves.
And my extra Gold from Monsters is 131%.
I got bored somewhere in the game when I cant get a good Rare drops. Sloppy gear = Cant Kill Bosses = slow Progress = boring. I paused and fill up topazes on my slots.
Also “No gold” = Cant Afford gear = Cant Kill Bosses = slow Progress = boring. That’s why I have Extra Gold on Monsters on my gear too.
I have 2 sets of gear. The Rare Find / Gold Farming gear and the Boss Killer Gear. I wear the Boss Killer Gear when my Farming Gear cant kill Bosses.
My Attack Damage with common Rares is around 15-42. My game pumped up when I got a Rare getting my attack Damage into 54-123 but it’s Ethereal ROFL. But anyhow, some good things never last.
This is a great example of how spoiled and entitled todays gamer is.
“I want loot and I want it now, and no I don’t want to go MF for it like everyone else”
In act 5 normal, somehow got multiple uniques and set items…
Nothing belonging to the same set though.
I can post what I have so far, but it’s minimal stuff (nearly all rares) and I’m though normal with no issue and no deaths. My best Drop so far was a Gold Wrap, and my weapon is a rare scythe that Meph dropped that replaced my Steel Axe. The rest of my rares were gambled or quest reward - rare gloves, belt, and boots were gambled, and 1 rare rings was from Ormus. I have not done a single “run” so far.
Basically, I’m following the Druid hardcore guide at diablo2 io— the-untwinked-hc-fury-druid-guide-the-edge-you-need-for-hell-survival. Feel free to read that for tips - I need to find a 3 socket bow for my next weapon.
Using the same guide. Ok so far, only complaint is terrible damage which led to clearing Baal and the Throne Room taking well over an hour, with each minion of destruction having to be peeled off one by one. Haven’t got edge yet though, just found an amn on my frenzy barbarian’s soul stone.
What is disheartening though is doing that almost two hour first kill of Baal with a bowzon partner, then playing with another friend later rocking a fire sorc a few levels lower without just MF gear and leaf who was blasting whole packs of enemies away left and right while I basically did nothing. There is definitely a problem with some classes being boring due to be overpowered and some needing a tad bit more.
I didnt find a single unique until NM and you know what? I love it.
Im tired of games that shower you with the best stuff non stop.
Its nice to have to work for gear.
keep playing and figure it out.
its part of the fun 
d3/fortnite really ruined the gaming industry lol
May I suggest Diablo 3? It will cater to your lack of patience. Items galore with no effort whatsoever. Just go play it!
Leaf is kind of BS power wise. Melee classes probably should have gotten that kind of insane Power given how good Sorc is in general.
As it is, my rare scythe is dual leech, and my rare Antlers are +3 lycanthropy and +3 cyclone armor. My merc kills faster than I do, but I’m not really in any danger.
Farm some Normal Countess and buy 2OS Battle Axe from act 2 to make a Steel. It carries me all the way until I make a second Steel with Bearded Axe in the NM act 1.
I was playing in SP mode with /Players3 setting.
My experience has been much different then yours it seems. All the rares raining from mobs are more than enough to get you on your way to farming for better gear. Nothing needs addressed as far as loot goes 
Act , farm countess for runes , make runewords , adjust with drops if you get good stuff , if not , farm few more bosses and make runewords …
Runewords.
I’ve played the whole normal in /players 8 as a sorceress. I use crap things, I collected every rune, gem and useful socketed item.
I use
https://
diablo2
.diablowiki.
net
/Runewords
to check which runewords I need.
Runs for leveling up/collecting gear:
Tristram (lv 6 > 16)
Countess (16 > 17)
Defeated Andariel stacking antidote potions
Canyon of the Magi (20 > 24)
Defeated Duriel stacking thawing potions
Then no more runs, progressed straight to Act V (pretty easy)
Eldritch + Shenk (30 > 32)
Pindleskin (30 > 40)
Baal (43 > 46)
Cows (46 > 50)
Equipment:
Sorceress
Armour: normal socketed with sapphires → then Stealth
Helm: normal socketed with sapphires → then Lore
Weapon: bought a staff with cool + to skill from Drognan and made Leaf
Everything else: whatever I’d pick up with + mana, + % Fast Cast Rate, + % res, half freeze, half poison, + % Fast Hit Recovery
mercenary: Act II defensive
Helm: Nadir
Weapon: Steel and then Malice (by the time you’ll get Act II mercenary, you should have the stuff for Malice, so you’ll probably skip Steel)
Armour: Stealth or a magic high defense + % Fast Hit Recovery
Oh yeah, you’ll never be wrong if you just keep moving that goal post!
go play d3, scrub. leave immediately, we don’t need your kind here.
Providing a recipe book would not “dumb down” the game. Nor is it hand-holding. It’s basic game design to have this sort of critical information available to the player in-game. Relying on fansites to provide this service for you, is pretty poor design.
It would be like hiding the affixes of uniques and sets and forcing the player to google them. You could do it, but it would be pretty poor design not to have that information provided in-game.
I know for me personally, it took me years to even pay any attention to Crafted items because it’s completely undisclosed in-game. And I know I’m hardly the only one.
the only trhing what needs serious adressing is your BUILD. because it seems that you dont have any idea what your doing with your char.
this is not diablo 3 where you can’t get anything done without good items…
Your problem is your build and your lack of a good idea how you should play your charackter.
I was thinking the same thing, I could be doing something wrong of course, I’m new. I went through normal with a necro and didn’t really equip many new things after act 1. No +skills no socketed items, no +MF.
You know what’s funny? I played regular D2 a couple of years ago. Created a barb, ran his out toward Den of Evil. First monster I killed dropped a gull dagger. A freaking gull dagger. Put that on and killed every monster in the Den, only to find a piece of Sigon set. The gloves. It was freaking amazing. Hasn’t happened since.