Yes, I think you hit the nail on the head, especialyl with your second point. You could in theory cut out the whole nautiloid sequence, make some minor tweaks to dialogue to explain how you know you have a tadpole, and it wouldn't impact the first act's story at all. The cult and druids and nautiloid aren't really connected all that much, that goes double for the hells. That whole opening sequence is just...disconnected from everything else that's going on later. It makes the whole thing feel weaker because it makes the actual act one area feel like it doesn't matter. It's just a place we landed in and we could have landed anywhere and it wouldn't really impact the story. Whereas with WotR, the story can ONLY start in Kenabres.
