Serious question: Why does Act 1 have to be grueling and miserable?

Act 1 isn't hard or long, it just gets old fast because you have no passive points to build something and it is always the same few skill gems.
Personally I would allow to use all skill gems at lvl 1 after you reached maps once. This would give leveling secondary characters a bit of fresh air. Also no point in balancing as the second character is wearing leveling gear and blast through it anyway.