That is still the case. HA configuration is tedious. But there are other options:
If you happen to be with a partner, Lab On Demand has a number of environments with HA simulators.
If you have download access on the support site, you can download the evaluation version on ONTAP Select. The ONTAP Select Deploy utility can deploy HA instances in 2 node or 4 node configurations.
If this post resolved your issue, help others by selecting ACCEPT AS SOLUTION or adding a KUDO.