When this game first came out, I mostly played with my Real-Life friends. We would create a game and work our way through the acts.
This meant that the loot system never really became an issue. It was more of a novelty when we’d be on our own and join a big public free-for-all.
A lot of the comments on the forum regarding loot complaints tells me this really isn’t the way people play anymore.
Do most of you only play with strangers? Maybe the clan system will solve most of the issues? I guess this is why I’m not really connecting with the complaints.
I was playing with strangers a lot. That was fine. Some of them became buddies. That was cool.
Honestly, I very disappointed with streamers. Most of them were playing single closed passworded games during beta. Nobody streams wild multiplayer. Well, I have to become a streamer then 
No its the way Casuals play, they want the game easy and they want their participation loot just for being in the area and not having to work for it or out click another player for it.
This is how alot of players still play, either with RL friends or Online contacts developed by playing the game in public.
I always wanted a friend…
I think the Ploot guys are not being 100% honest they want to be showered with loot with the least amount of effort and time (other words casual d2 players that won’t even play that long)
also playing solo you actually have to play the game to get loot so they’re against solo looting being the answer to ploot some odd reason it has to be public games…
I have mostly played with strangers. Strangers who are cool and share items they don’t need and are helpful. Wind up trying to party up with them more often after finding out they are cool. Like minded people and what not. No one i knew in real life really played but i made plenty of cool acquaintances to play this game with back in the day.
You’re making assumptions that aren’t true at all. Practically nobody has asked to increase drop rates. Some people just like multiplayer more than SP, why is that a bad thing? I’ve done plenty of solo farming on regular D2 and the modded servers, but I enjoy playing with a full party more.
And to answer your question, OP, yes people do play in public random games a lot. I had old clanmates that i’d do runs with of course, but I’d also do a lot of regular pub runs.
I feel people are judging D2 too much on this beta, almost none of my friends bother with betas, your stuck in the worst place in the game for content and nothing works to get a friends list or parties going.
I don’t expect any content to change with open as usual but I do hope they give some love to battle.net lobby and functionality because it’s a bad showing otherwise.
There are many players in this game that are willing to help and not help. Game gets to point where people give stuff away for free.
You work for your items your self and you work together to help do quests and leveling how its always been. You dont see people play together to farm items unless they friends.