I finished my first playthrough (necro) right before they nerfed using multiple copies of spells and off class spells. By the last two chapters I had primarily rare gear with a 2 or 3 epics. It was brutally hard even under those conditions!
I’m only saying this to underline your point. An already very difficult first play through, is now an impossible first playthrough. When you add in the derth of drops, derth of shards, the need to do all playthroughs to have a chance at decent level followers? Yikes. I would not want to be new.