Edited post as the idea evolved during the discussion. The idea is to have an additional checkbox “self-found / no-trade” at the character creation menu.
- When you leave it unchecked (default), then everything is as known from D2:LOD.
- But when you tick it, trading will not be possible with that character.
Why this new option?
Answer
It’s for the self-found players who want to enjoy multiplayer (fighting together, chatting, helping, …). And comparison to other self-found players knowing everyone earned their items by playing the game. For example: You see enigma in a self-found game, you think “wooow, what a lucky guy” or “wooow, she must have spent hundreds of hours on that”. The equipment is well earned, it reflects the effort that player has put into this.
What are the consequences when you check this option?
Answer
All trading is disabled for that character, means, all items will be acc-bound on first pickup. All items you didn’t first pick up yourself, are inaccessible.
Is this ploot?
Answer
No NO NO!! All self-found players in the game can see all loot. First pickup just makes it acc-bound.
How would it work?
Answer
Simple! If you select your self-found character and look for games, you will only see and be able to join games created by self-found characters. Analogous for the not self-found characters.
Can it prevent botting?
Answer
No it can’t, but I assume there would be far less bots, since no real money could be earned. And the few remaining leveling bots could probably very easily be identified.
Can’t you already do all that?
Answer
Not really. When I choose a self-found character, I still want to play multiplayer, enjoy fighting together, some chat, etc… And at the same time I don’t want players around me who possibly bought items somewhere.
Won’t this split the playerbase?
Answer
I don’t think so, at least not in a way that it would matter.
Not matter?
- The self-found players would NOT trade with you EITHER way. Whether there was such a new “self-found” option ingame or not, they would not trade with you. So you don’t lose anyone as your trade partner.
- When you tell me and like-minded “play singleplayer” → that is real splitting.
- Let’s assume that self-found-option existed and the playerbase is 100,000 players. What do you think will happen?
99.999 play “self-found”
1 (you) are left alone?
→ will not happen 
50.000 “self-found”
50.000 trade
→ very unlikely
10.000 “self-found”
90.000 trade
→ maybe
What I’m trying to say is “Don’t worry”. There will be enough players in the “trade world”. You can spare the few self-found players that would anyway not have traded with you. Or do you want to hug and cuddle every single player?
Also consider, each player could have 20 characters, some might be “self-found”, others not. More than enough.
If people try “self-found”, like it and stay - great! If not, they quickly delete that character and create a new one without “self-found”.
You don’t like this?
Answer
No problem, you don’t have to. Don’t check the “self-found” checkbox and you will not even realize that there are a few “self-found” players somewhere around the world enjoying that playstyle.
Would you try the “self-found” option?
6 Likes
That’s tough to say because while I would love personal loot to some degree, I wouldn’t want to give up trading. Or without personal loot, I would just like a reason to be able to play with my friends more. D2 always ends up being a game where everyone is in their own private game MFing. There is no way to really farm as a group and not feel like you are getting the bad end of the stick.
1 Like
I’d probably play both, but I’m not sure. Trading is a lot of fun.
1 Like
No trading? No thanks! Go back to D3.
12 Likes
whats the point of removing trading? if anything, it should be enhanced with built-in trading platform
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SSF is quite a popular game mode, people love it because it eliminates RMT and it brings back a lot of the “WOW” factor when you see people decked out in amazing gear.
There will be Full Tal sorc in the first day or two, but on SSF it is more like
“Oh wow, you found THAT” rather than…“oh you probably bought that.”
2 Likes
You’re essentially asking players if they want to play a multiplayer D2R or a single player but very occasionally with a group for leveling. Mine is easy. It’s multiplayer.
3 Likes
No, I would be offering two options. Players would have to ask themselves where to play. Both “realms” had their charm.
You could have a sorc in the trading realm and maybe another in the non-trading realm. However you like.
I plan to play ssf either way personally.
So… Maybe the ssf server I guess. Could be a fun experience.
Though it’ll never happen anyway.
But would be quiet fun in my opinion ^^
Each gear would actually be legitimate
Thats exactly how I understood it and I’ve given my answer.
What you’re suggesting is almost no different from D3 as 95-99% of games will be private except in early ladder. Also there will still be bots just not as many. You’d be surprised how many bots are in D3 even without ability to trade with others.
2 Likes
i mean…
don’t we already have both single player and multiplayer?
3 Likes
As much as it feels good to find your own stuff and make your character with what you have, most people likely don’t care if its found or traded.
Not representative but from the posters so far it looks like
5 trade
2 non-trade
2 both or unsure
Yes they exist. In my opinion there is a huge difference between SP and MP without trading. Geezer put it straight. The comparison to other players and that wooow-feeling 
1 Like
Me: trading, no ploot, HC SSF in priv. game mostly but will mf in pubs (ie I go meph while they finish Anya quest, not scumming bosses ahead of them)
It’s already “slow” if you choose to do so but fast if you want to, on the same realm.
The current system gives many options; it’s on the player(s), not the game, to decide which route they want to take.
I could trade legit, buy from a dirty 3rd party, solo mf on BNET private, solo mf in pub games while people do something different, try to snag loot from the baal running bot, etc.
All in one realm.
I choose to mf alone and keep my trading to a minimum, give away gear I have duplicates of (free4U), and will usually only trade if I have an abundance of specific items/HRs.
Outside that, I grail and take my time (HC anyway) but I don’t see the need for splitting the server into multiple realms when we already can do this. It just doesn’t make sense to me.
Edited for horrendous grammar and punctuation.
Yes, you could do everything in that realm. And that’s the “problem”, because players will do everything - including bad things.
When you meet players in the non-trading realm, you know that no FG or RMT is involved. Everything he/she did was done with hard work playing the game. The equipment is well earned, it 1:1 reflects the effort that player has put into this. That is sooo fascinating for me.
You don’t have to agree. I don’t want many realms, just two. I think player base would be big enough to allow this. During character creation you choose “trade:yes” or “trade:no” and then that is fixed for that character and he/she can only play with like-minded people.
Bots and cheating are not a consequence of trading and would exist on both realms. Seems like a completely worthless and nonsense way to split the player base to me, but for sure the trading realm would be more popular by a wide margin. Good thing this horrible idea won’t be implemented.
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If you don’t like trading, then play Diablo III. No trading and bound to account.
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Can’t you read? I want to play D2:R with a no-trade option.
While I don’t think FFA loot is what makes the game great as some might, I do think trading is part of what makes the game great.
Haggling the value of items with other players is an unwritten dynamic of D2 that would be lost.
I suppose I don’t get the value of this since you can simply not trade with people.