Accounts and Characters:
Unlike other blizzard games, your character name is not the same as your account name. It's possible for me to sign on as "Terran+Force" and then create up to eight characters under the same account, each of which is stored on the B.Net server.
Pros: You don't have to log on and off from B.Net to play different characters. Just sign on; pick your character and go. Click "Quit," click your next character and go. No more re-entering passwords, searching for fastest server etc. between games.
Cons: You can't do a /whereis or /msg to a D2 character. You'll have to know the account name in order to do that. If for example, if you're looking for a little revenge for being PK'd (if you don't know what that means you need to quit reading now) by the character "IdiotTheIrritating," you'll never find him/her unless you know his/her account name or unless you get luckier than Hugh Heffner ever did.

Playing:
The game itself plays more like Revenant (a major RPG disappointment IMO) than Diablo, except it has the randomization of monsters and maps of D1. Now wait a second! Don't be killin' the messenger! I'm not saying that D2 is going to be a disappointment also, so keep your hate mail to yourself and keep reading. Interaction between the characters and monsters is very similar to Revenant. Gone is the highlight around a targeted monster, replaced with a name and hitpoint bar over the monster's head. This can make it somewhat difficult to know exactly which monster you are attacking when you're surrounded by an angry mob of the same species in well-lit areas.

Maps:
The maps are randomized as in D1, and in the crypts and caves playing is very similar to that of the old maps. The wilderness areas on the other hand are not unlike those of Revenant. They are wide-open spaces, so even though there is an Automap you can end up running around in circles looking for landmarks. Also like in Revenant, the scene's change from daylight to darkness, and occasionally there are rainstorms complete with thunder and lightning.

Items/Appearance:
This aspect was a little disappointing to me. Unlike Revenant or the game Nox your character doesn't accurately reflect what is being worn in the Inventory. As in the original Diablo classes of items do appear on the character, but a small shield looks like any other regardless of its design when viewed in the inventory. Some items do change color when gems are added to them, but that's all. One of the best features of Nox was how the character represented the items he was wearing in exact detail, and I had hoped to see this feature in D2. But remember this is the beta test version so maybe.... Ah hell! Even if they don't look as detailed you just know Diablo characters would kick the crap outta one of those wimpy Nox dudes.

Storage:
This is my only real gripe about the whole game. In Revenant you were able to put sacs into your inventory slots and put items into the sacks, which had more slots. If you wanted to carry every single thing you ever found you could expand the inventory infinitely by putting sacs inside of sacs. In Nox the inventory was not expandable but each item used a single slot so you could carry a lot of items, as long as your character was strong enough to carry the combined weight of those items. D2 has the same old inventory size of the original, and in addition you get a storage chest that stays in town.
I have several complaints about this system. First, the storage expansion you get with the chest is only about ½ the size of your normal inventory. In D2 there are sets of items that enhance each other, so you have to store the armor while you find the matching helm, gloves boots and belt. That takes up valuable space. Or you could chose to save space by wearing it even though you'd have to discard a superior single piece of armor. Naturally this puts you at a disadvantage until you get the enhancements of the other set items, if you ever do. And suppose you were working on two different sets? "This does not bode well."
Secondly, obviously items in the chest are not immediately available. If you find yourself in sudden need of fire resistance because you're getting your ass barbecued by a particularly nasty monster and your fire resist items are in your chest...! Well, you get my point.
Third, the inventory, as in D1, does not auto-arrange to fit items as needed. Worse yet, some items like spears, tridents, and log bows are a full four spaces in length. If your inventory is completely empty except for a row of potions/scrolls along the bottom you still can't pick up one of these long items without stopping to rearrange everything! GRRRRR!!!!!!!
I would have expected the most anticipated RPG in history to do a little better than that, but as I said this is the beta test version. Hopefully this won't be a problem in the final release, but if it is then one of you computer wiz kids out there need to get us a storage program quickly.

Summary:
Okay, so storage sucks and character detail ain't the greatest, but this game is still a blast. We've all been waiting for Diablo II forever (if you haven't been why the hell did you read this?) and now it's almost here. I've bought Revenant and Nox trying to fill the RPG void in my life since all my D1 characters got above Level 40, and neither has satisfied me even remotely. I've played the Beta Stress Test version for a week now, and I'm pumped! The bottom line is this: I have a copy of Diablo II reserved for me to pick up on the first day of release at Best Buys, and you can bet your last patch of minerals that I'm going to be there to pick it up!

Live well. Play well. Terran+Force