To clarify, if I was introducing someone to the Diablo series for the first time and told them they'd have to start on the first one. I wouldn't want them playing the bare vanilla version. There is a Bezelbub mod out there that gives the game lots of QoL improvements, you'd be thinking you're playing a build of Diablo 2 before its final version.

So, if I had to tell anyone what the best way to play that game would be, it is the Bezelbub mod. That was how I've beaten the first game anyways.