I.. Can only agree.More emphasis needs to be placed on the lower levels and how special achieving 6th level really is.
This could actually be the key to the caster problem. Magic should take skill and concentration, so the really powerful stuff is simply too hard to do in combat.I think there basically needs to be less combat-useful reality warping spells. More spells with long casting times (on the order of minutes or hours or even days). Lots of rituals. A lot more focus on spell components.
It might make casters rare in a group of adventurers, but...
I would really love this.
Maybe minus the focus on spell components. I never got why you needed special materials in order to warp reality with your mind.