The current trading format in Diablo 4 is a mixed one with open trading for common and rare items, and BoA end-game gear (legendary and mythic items). Such format favors mostly the whales who buy with real money the mats/gold and use it for endless crafting/gambling.
Here are all possibilities how trading in Diablo 4 could be structured:
1] Mixed format [Diablo 4 Alpha]
- Good for whales and casuals
- Bad for competitive players
- Mixed for other groups of players
2] Mixed format and a (S)SF mode
- Good for whales, casuals, competitive and dedicated players
- Bad for those wanting open trade
3] No trading in both Season and Non-Season [Diablo 3]
- Good for competitive and dedicated players
- Bad for whales and open traders
4] Open trading in both Season and Non-Season [Diablo 2]
- Good for whales and open traders
- Bad for competitive and dedicated players
5] Open trading and (S)SF mode [Path of Exile]
- Bad for those non-(S)SF players hating spam from pro traders
- Good for other groups of players
6] Open trading in Season and no trading during Non-Season
- Good for open traders and whales
- Bad for competitive players and those hating spam from pro traders
7] Open trading in Season, no trading during Non-Season and a (S)SF mode
- Good for most groups of players
- Bad for those players hating spam from pro traders
8] No trading during Season and open trading in Non-Season
- Good for competitive players and open traders
- Mixed for whales and dedicated players
9] Mixed format during Season and open trading in Non-Season
- Good for whales, casuals and open traders
- Bad for competitive players
- Mixed for dedicated players
10] Mixed format during Season, open trading in Non-Season and a (S)SF mode
- Good for whales, casuals, competitive players and open traders
- Mixed for dedicated players
From the options above we can see that the only cases without clearly bad situation for some group of players are 8] and 10].
Share whether you agree/disagree with the above and contribute further.