Reverse Design: Diablo II

The Reverse Design series looks at all of the design decisions that went into classic video games. This is the sixth installment in the Reverse Design series, looking at Diablo II. Written in a readable format, it is broken down into three sections examining three topics important to the game:

1. How does Diablo II borrow from different types of games like action RPGs, classical class-based RPGs and Roguelikes?
2. What are the different types of randomness in Diablo II and how do they work?
3. How do elaborate level-up mechanics keep players interested in a relatively short game for dozens or hundreds of hours?