Gearing and drop rates, AH use almost required to progress.

[Archon_Wing]

Hmm, blues are quite good in d3. The damage can be on par with the best rares; but the mods will be lacking, which is about right.

Problem is coming across them. Smoke and 3d shields weren't a matter of if but when you would get them. You can even just transmute up to them not too badly. Hell, Ancient's pledge as a substitute resist shield is essentially handed to you. It simply was that trivial given a little effort. The "standard" inferno gear items are a bit analogous to D2's elite uniques (or perhaps super high end exceptionals like Buriza) with um runes socketed in them. That can't be relied on to drop. You woudn't be prone to finding a windforce in D2 but you didn't need to either.

Honestly, regardless of how poor you were, using the many options for the act 2 merc pretty much makes any build viable. Almost. :p

D3's "elite" loot is actually more generously dropping than D2's "elite" loot. Zod runes and crap were pretty much a dream. It's just that the higher end loot is now more mandatory.

So the paragon system was very good at addressing the problem a little. Higher base stats means equipment means less and the naturally increasing MF means the poor have to not spend as much in investing in a luxury stat to actually get stuff. It's still not that reliable, but farming your way through to inferno belial is very doable, if not annoying. Still, this is closer to the original concept of farming hell til you can reach inferno concept.