That’s not how any RPG works tbh. Every RPG has stuff that you do with a team and stuff you do solo. Some people have friends, some people don’t have friends so it’s really not a valid argument.
Saying some people don’t have friends is a bad argument. QQ to the single player mode I guess? Part of the game on multi is interactions. If you want to avoid that part, you don’t reap the benefits. As the game box says, “online experience may change”.
The biggest part of end-game D2 was MFing and gathering wealth. Most of the time this was done solo. Don’t see a reason why they should “QQ” to singleplayer if people don’t have friends (online). Each there own. If people like to only play online when friends are online, good for them. If they wanna go online a couple of hours and just to their own thing, fine too. Why would anyone care how others spend their time online?
Allowing /players X on multiplayer would basicly remove chaos/baal bots from public for good as there would not be reason to run them in public games.
Question is if thats a good or bad thing.
From perspective of normal player, I would like to have that command but I fear that it would drive many players to private games instead of playing public games.
I think implement it to multiplayer will create more issues.
Yes, but only if the command would not increase exp gains or drop rates. That way you can still fight harder monsters without affecting anything else.
but its fun joining public act1-act5 games while the turds are still in act 1 or 2 and stomping the act 3-5 bosses, hang around till they get to act 3, and the magic begins! that hostility is the fun part!
That is the “social” part that will be missed 
I have seen end game bots in Hell on HC. They exist. Most bots for HC are just more caustious. Due to lag spikes eventually you will die but, so will everyone. Sometimes you make it to 99 first sometimes your don’t. Most will have bots specifically made to farm specific bosses for mfing then gear up the bot level another bot in that game so they constantly level there own one at a time and have a backup for the main running bot.
HC has less cause there is increased risk but, there is also increased value for items so…