What keeps you playing Diablo 2?

With the release of the Diablo 4 expansion tomorrow and it's many changes that are coming to it - what keeps you playing Diablo 2?

I played some of D2 when I was younger, played a lot of D3, and purchased D4 (w/ the new DLC) a little over a month ago. But, I was bothered by just how easy the game was, my character would completely annihilate every little thing with just the slightest effort of gear/skill coordination.

I got sucked back into the Diablo Lore and decided to play through D2 again and I've really enjoyed it. It feels challenging, and rewarding, the constant anticipation of what drop there might be from the next lever pull!

One of the things I enjoy is that I feel end game happens in the game, and is not a separate section made to keep people looping for years.

I'm often turned off by other games where the end game is map systems and infinite tower grinds, where none of endgame happens in the game you explored along the way. To some degree, I feel there is no real endgame in D2 other than the one you choose yourself, which makes the game a choice, and not a chore.

My end game is doing rushes,

Key and torch farming. Even with this as my end game, I still fight monsters and bosses in the usual farming areas, and I can still take part in the same game as people with other end game goals. I feel that I'm taking part in the game, even when I choose to not "play optimally".

I come back to D2, because it let's me play at my own phase, without making me feel I'm missing out because I can't reach lvl 500 in the end game dungeon.
(Bla bla,

Herald farming is making this tougher as I want to have a life outside farming for sunder charms, but that's a different discussion)

Nostalgia and the grind. I feel I don't HAVE to do anything, so I'm free to pursue whatever

Another big thing for me is all the knowledge I've accumulated along the years I've played the game. The more I learn, the more I feel I'm playing with hacks on.
Knowing what levels to shop/gamble important items, handy cube recipes, some runeword, FCR breakpoints, the direction of most maps; It's all adding up to me feeling in control, even when enemies and maps change.

It's random enough to feel somewhat fresh, but predictable enough where my time and effort gives me an advantage.

I played original and a bit into LOD. Now I'm about a month and a half into ROTW and loving it. So much more fun for me than D3 or D Immortal--the latter really disappointed me with micro transactions, so much so I didn't even want to think about D4 (I don't even know if they have a $$ market).

D2 is just fun, whether it's killing cows, bosses or farming mats for interesting events--gotta say, the

Terror zones breath fresh life into the more tedious parts of the map that we usually ignore afterwards.

Overall, quite pleased, and coming back 20 years later to have my own Lister going "What did the 20 fingers say to the face? SLAP-AP-AP-AP!" Is a true joy!

Atma.

If you know, you know.

I've been on and off for years and couldn't really tell you exactly why.

But what I can tell you is when and if I quit it won't be for D4

Mephisto, could say same words as 2 posts up from here but yeah it seems that the mastermind is more intruiging that one could ever imagine.

One day he will drop CoA and I will be a happy camper to get my grail done.