For D2 fans, I just noticed this over at moddb, and new version:
https://www.moddb.com/mods/medianxl/news/median-xl-20-to-be-released-the-27th-of-august-2021

Could it be time to have another play through, been a long time since I played D2.

Just got confirmation, mod is launcher driven only. So its a complete no-go. Shame this whole client driven rubbish is destroying every part of gaming.

While I share your hate on launchers and clients, the dev clearly gave you a hint where you can find manual installation instructions: https://forum.median-xl.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=45891
See the last point in the first section.

Someday I will try it. Is there a way to get D2 working without CD? My computer no longer has one, so I can't exactly add D2.

My only memory of Median mod was some absurd dungeon towards the beginning with invincible ghosts. Fun times.

https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/w/index.php?title=Diablo_II&section=17#Run_game_without_CD

Normally I wouldn't dot an eye on something as small as this (unlike something like Galaxy, as these launcher normally tries to make it simpler for the user), but in this case I think you're right about being skeptical...

I spent 10-12 min installing and manually swapping the virtual disks, installing the patch, and installing the mod offline since it seemed to be the easiest option. It didn't work.

Then I downloaded the launcher and followed the process as given (including admin-rights on the launcher AND Diablo II.exe). Didn't work. Noticed also that the launcher was supposes to show
Mod version:
Launcher version: 1.2.1

Only Launcher version showed it's number.

I tried several times and the only thing that worked was to accept the launcher a one-time access through the firewall. The version number on the mod showed now pluss 3 squares with news/latest.

That's the sort of thing that makes me uneasy and untrustfull of these launchers in general...

Another note, patch 114d effectively removed vidtest.

Aside from that launcher thing, the mod works with Diablo II.exe just fine, and while it may be flashy and adds lots of cool things (including higher res support), two things just kills it for me after a short test now;

1. Who in the hell thought it would be a good idea to place a "reveal map button" in the middle of the bar between message log and auto map? One mistake and there is no surprise anymore, and I can't see where I've been and where I've not been.

2. Anytime there's a quill rat inside my light circle, the game creates a fictitious/ghost rat that shoots from another angle. It even hits my character, flashes and damage is taken, or it hits the wall and then flashes. Kinda weird when the only real quill rat nearby have already turned and I've moved just enough to not be hit by it's spikes...

I've an old install with plugy and it works just fine even today. I'll (probably) try MXL sometime later to test the different new skills/abilities.

Hopefully you've played Grim Dawn? Peak of the genre.

Maybe I'll try this. My husband has played some D2 mods, but I've only played with my own. I feel D2 has some unfixible core mechanics (while remaining D2), but might be reading a changelog.

[deleted, misunderstood topic, all I want is to buy Diablo 2 DRM-free here on GOG.com]

It's unlikely to come here given it's being Remastered elsewhere. I can confirm though that patch v1.12 completely removes the disc check. You could always buy the disc version, patch it, then zip up the game folder. Not a GOG version, but it is DRM-Free.

Yes, I will have to look further at that to be fair. Good to know. It’s been moved to maybe some time down the line for, currently on a new run through of perisno as I started Bannerlord and found it lacking in most areas (although graphics are nicer and sieges much improved, nothing else changed from vanilla warband which is a shame).

Grim Dawn and especially Titan Quest are indeed the top of the genre.

As for the Diablo 2 issues, I feel they've started introducing most of them only in the later versions, with LoD release and further patches. For example:
- experience penalty past level 70
- monster immunities
- vastly lowering the chances of getting sets and uniques from gambling
- the game changing from hunting awesome items into rune farming and looking for a socketable trash item with the lowest requirements to jam them into. I honestly hated the addition of runewords.
- synergies and balancing around them, forcing you to pretty much focus on only one skill line instead of picking up whatever you like from any tree
- and in general, balancing everything for multiplayer

Just last week, I installed a version switcher (https://github.com/fearedbliss/Cactus) and got back to playing version 1.05, without Lord of Destruction. The switcher also makes the game playable on Win 10 (D2 without LoD no longer works by default on Win 10) and makes it playable without CD. I find it much more enjoyable for single player. The only drawback is that pre-LoD versions have 640x480 resolution only and no act 5 of course.

It's like you're me. Everything you listed are things I list for why D2 isn't as good a game as remember. Synergies is my absolute top one to list, followed by runewords. (And I always have to bring up the changing of Lightning Mastery to make it a clone of Fire Mastery instead of when it was previously its own thing [reducing mana cost so you could afford to spam high-randomoness lightning spells).

One you forgot to list was relics. "Let's turn already limited inventory space into arbitrary hold-as-many-as-you-want little buffs." Bad decision!

I was given a D2SE package a while ago which looks like it runs every core version of D2 and you can switch between them, along with activating the mod of your choice so long as it fits the criteria. I have Zy-El on it, so it definatley works without the CD. More friendly than doing this all manually...

I only played up through 1.09d so never touched synergies. Didn't quite see the point with the mods i wanted to play and having to fight with keeping the versions managable.

As for runewords, there was like 100 or so in the original game. Not very useful...

Very limited space. Most mods rearrange to maximize inventory space, combined with PlugY you can do a lot more. But honestly what they gave was very weak. +2 light, +1 max damage? Ugg yeah i agree useless... At least in vanilla.