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After one winner in 3.3.2. (a gnome mage) I upgraded to 3.4.1. and just had a winner there, too (a dwarf paladin). One of the main goals of the game play changes was to make the game a little more difficult, so here are my comments and observations. Seems like there are right in time to possibly affecting the 3.5. release.
Early game, clevel 1-20
Starting points for stats were reduced from 24 to 20, definitely more difficult, especially for squishy characters. I noticed that for paladins and rogues in 3.4.1. the starting stat distribution is 17 str, 18 dex. I think putting 17 str, 17 dex, 14 wis or int respectively is much easier. The 1 extra point in dex is hardly worth as much as 4 more points in spell casting. I know you can change these thing at char creation but the default should be as good as possible, to increase newbie friendliness.
Mid game, clevel 20-35
the reduced drop rates of ego items is definitely noticeable, making life harder. I learned that you can get away without some 'essential' resistances much longer, I think I was clevel 40, dlevel 60+ until I started wearing poison res.
Late game, clevel 35+
Game doesn't feel any more difficult, you still get drowned in ego items and if you can reliably and repeately cast teleport other you mostly die of stupidity or extreme cases of bad luck. Also I think that in late game, the large vaults are seriously overpowered in loot. I cleaned out a large vault at dlevel 97 and found 14 artifacts, with no risk whatsoever. Early vaults seem more well balanced but after about dlevel 75 you get way to much stuff for too little risk.
Also being overweight becomes irrelevant in late game. Losing 2 speed at base speed 0 early on is rather nasty and to be avoided, losing 2 speed with base speed 20+ is completely irrelevant. The speed loss due to overweight should be a proportion of your total speed, not a fixed reduction. Ie -2 speed at base speed 0 corresponds to -6 speed at base speed 20.
Early game, clevel 1-20
Starting points for stats were reduced from 24 to 20, definitely more difficult, especially for squishy characters. I noticed that for paladins and rogues in 3.4.1. the starting stat distribution is 17 str, 18 dex. I think putting 17 str, 17 dex, 14 wis or int respectively is much easier. The 1 extra point in dex is hardly worth as much as 4 more points in spell casting. I know you can change these thing at char creation but the default should be as good as possible, to increase newbie friendliness.
Mid game, clevel 20-35
the reduced drop rates of ego items is definitely noticeable, making life harder. I learned that you can get away without some 'essential' resistances much longer, I think I was clevel 40, dlevel 60+ until I started wearing poison res.
Late game, clevel 35+
Game doesn't feel any more difficult, you still get drowned in ego items and if you can reliably and repeately cast teleport other you mostly die of stupidity or extreme cases of bad luck. Also I think that in late game, the large vaults are seriously overpowered in loot. I cleaned out a large vault at dlevel 97 and found 14 artifacts, with no risk whatsoever. Early vaults seem more well balanced but after about dlevel 75 you get way to much stuff for too little risk.
Also being overweight becomes irrelevant in late game. Losing 2 speed at base speed 0 early on is rather nasty and to be avoided, losing 2 speed with base speed 20+ is completely irrelevant. The speed loss due to overweight should be a proportion of your total speed, not a fixed reduction. Ie -2 speed at base speed 0 corresponds to -6 speed at base speed 20.