Playing Diablo in softcore mode is not quite as fun though :> Hardcore is what makes the game enjoyable.
About the fact that it's a simplistic gameplay and that your only aim is gear, well, it's the same in wow (with the MMO part being replaced with a LAN or Battlenet aspect, pick the one you like the most). Also, the ambiance is quite nice :>
And while some characters have a quite simple gameplay, go play a meteor speced sorceress in Hell with no melee character to help "tanking", and you'll have to actually do more than click on your targets
Think "always move (kite) or teleport while casting meteors that fall only a few seconds after your click, estimating the positions of your enemies so that they take the meteor damage".