I havent played much since the end of summer, but I have a level: 30 paladin, 32 paladin, 31 necro, 24 barb, 20 amazon, 19 sorceress. Right now i play about 15 minutes at a time single player mode just trying to finish nightmare with my pally or my necro.
As with gems, what the hell is the point? you can find any magic item much less a rare one that would be 10x better than a socketed anything with perfect whatevers in it. Gems are a waste of time, I just like the cash you get for em...
Even a broken watch is right twice a day...