This post was initially a reply to this thread https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/d2r/t/i-will-also-invade-quest-games-if-players-8-is-not-implemented/
but i though it would work also as a standalone post’
Usually for mf and rune hunting in a player 8 environment I targeted cows and split mf games in order to farm a certain area. As I used a blizz sorc->hammerdin->light sorc transition I haven’t really cowed because non of the builds are the best at doing it, not even a full geared/infinity merc light sorc can’t compare to a full geared/infinity merc javazon at culling cows.
Long story short.(L.E: Not so short in hindsight 
)* Finally leveled an amazon, geared in javazon and starting doing cows in p8 games. Usually with the builds mentioned above I farmed solo a certain area, but now…in cows I constantly encounter the ninja…the one that follows my cow grinding amazon. Usually some sorc…completely capable of solo-ing some cow mobs but not at the obscene rate of the javazon.*
Did I get mad because I got a Vex or a unique ring snatched? Did I think…maaan this could have been avoided if I could just solo play in a players 8 game? Surprinsly no…I realised I need to adapt…teleport more…move chaotically. Try to trick them inside cow mobs and killing them. It added a completely new layer to the game. I repeat…I build my wealth my targeting level 85 areas in p8 games rarely being contested. Having to constantly adjust to the ninjas and hyenas, each good drop being a constant race makes it really enjoyable to me.
Why are we trying to dumb down the game? Why are we trying to remove such a nice flavor of the game just to make it more comfortable to farm like a robot.
Even your ability to ruin other people games is a gameplay element almost extinct in modern gaming. Like in real life, those with sociopathic tendencies will be a minority. So go ahead…if your way of enjoying the game is ruining other games, go ahead. Appreciate the fact that the game allows you to. You will just be a small inconvenience.
Let’s try for a second to stop complaining about what we don’t like about the game. I also have my share of issues with it. But let’s just stop for a moment, empty our mind and ask ourselves what makes this game special, what made us invest so many hours and appreciate how complex it is in its simplicity. It’s a game from a bygone era…from the dawn of online gaming…from a less politically correct age.
My opinion is that the sole source of the constant posts about adding p8 for solo play, higher drops and personal loot spawns from the one of the diseases of the 21st century: Entitlement..
We want the best gear as we saw at the streamers, fast, without hindrance of any kind and without fighting over our loot. “But I dropped it…Hurr durr durr…thief!”. Is it frustrating to get a HR snatched from your face, a millisecond before picking it up? Yes it is! It’s a feature of the game. Appreciate it is able to make you feel stuff. How many games can say that they are able to generate this kind of intense feelings. From elation and hope when seeing that Ber dropping instantly to anger and frustration when ninja level 57 sorc snatches it.
Stop for a moment and just take these aspects in account. Appreciate the freedom of choice the game offers you. You can be the hero, the merchant, the thief, the philanthropist, the lone wolf, the villain, the dueler, the trickster, the collector, the warrior, the sociopath. Don’t chose to live in your players 8 bubble! Stop just trying to achieve that GG build that you saw in a guide or your favorite streamer! You forgot to have fun it the quest for perfect gear and bragging rights. And yes D2 allows you to have fun at the expense of others if that’s your cup of tea.
Just play the game dudes and have fun!
In conclusion, I am not against change! But why touch the core elements of what made this game a genre defining classic?