This guide isn't necessarily meant as a first play-through guide, although it definitely has lots of helpful information for that (So it's not like I'm saying that's a reason not to read it in such a case). I'm going to mention areas and other things that a first play-through player will not recognize, so there may be difficulties in that sense.

Diablo II is first and foremost a game that has replay value.... LOTS of it. It's what true fans of it love the most. This guide is meant to improve the players next play-throughs by providing tips & tricks along to way to make things smoother and more efficient. That said, if I say "Go farm the countess for runes for awhile", you're expected to know who the countess is, where she's found, and how to farm her.