Leveling up is a common experience in many games. Seeing number go up is a satisfying experience, but there's usually always more to it. You tend to level up as you progress through a game. As you do, it allows you to reach new areas and experience new things that would otherwise be unrealistic or impossible otherwise. There is a journey to be had through the game. In D2, there is no journey. There is no progression that follows the leveling. The same handful of activities you grind at the very beginning is the same handful you grind at the end. The only real difference is that the higher you go, the more you have to punish yourself to continue. The only incentive is higher tier loot and "number go up." The leveling experience in D2 currently in EoF feels like it was implemented more as a formality by people who don't understand why leveling matters in games. It just feels like a mechanic to force player metrics.