Random rolls in D1 generated a lot of salt and made players at the mercy of RNG. D2's system is actually a progression that I like because it's more about picking the right tool for the job rather than using the one weapon that is good for everything. D1 was focused entirely on perks rather than offer distinction between weapons. Weapons in D2 are meant to serve a purpose. What would happen in D2 if they randomized rolls is that you would have everyone running the best perks and suddenly every weapon would perform exactly the same. It would only be cosmetic changes. And while some players complain that every weapon in D2 is a re-skin of one another (which was the same in D1), they function very differently which is what matters. In D1 you had every weapon perform the same with a different look. D2 goes in the other direction offering the player a weapon suited for specific situations which encourages players to use different weapons based on the activity.