after 13 years we still love it. some are asking me why d2 is so classic and has stayed so strong over the years. i cant put my finger on the reasoning, can you guys list any? the only thing i can think of is how distinct each class is.

The items. How you can build so many different characters/builds with different items. Experimenting, theorycrafting and perfecting chars/strange builds kept me hooked for years.

d2 is a science, and science is fun

+1

and the rarity of some of them early on, it was never a game who held your hend and led you over finish line. it was hard to get the best stuff and farming it was fun

For me this is more than just a game I grew up playing this and it will always have a place in my heart!

PvP and infinite item combos is the reason this game keeps going.

and people still play when pvp has been flooded with modders and hackers?

Well you cant reallt quit untill you've found The Grandfather *drool*..

It's because this game has so much replay value. 7 Classes, each with at least 3 viable builds, each build being customized into whatever way you want, with whatever items you want. So many stats to play with, with an almost infinite amount of items to test every style you could think of.

I bought Diablo 2 the week it came out so many years ago, but it didn't really become the perfect game to me until after LOD.

I love how you can construct characters. I love how drops are are all randomly calculated, but you can fight against your bad drops with the right knowledge.
Can't get a good glove drop? try crafting some.
Can't get a good ammy? gamble that gold!
Good armor isn't dropping? Check out some of the budget runewords and farm the countess for a while.
Hit a plateau in your damage output? Try infinity on your merc (caster) find some crushing blow (melee)
if you aren't getting good charms you can try rerolling them with your extra diamonds
Stuff like this makes D2 is the perfect game for me.

Like I said before though, D2 didn't become amazing until after LOD, which gives me hope for Diablo 3 still.