Tantive3+1 said:
This is a question I’d like to ask some of the old fans who enjoyed SW during the 80’s and early 90’s: What was your impression of what you thought the prequels were going to be like before they announced the PT?

I’m an old fan who enjoyed Star Wars in 1977. I had a thought or two about a few things that were mentioned in the film but not enough to try and imagine them in-depth. I wasn’t hoping for a second film. The film as it was released was a complete story.

This original trailer still captures the emotion I felt in 1977. https://youtu.be/XHk5kCIiGoM
It was a vast and mysterious universe. That’s the same reason Rogue One is my favorite Star Wars film. It’s mysterious. I don’t need to know everyone’s backstory. The few mentions are enough, just as they were in Star Wars.

It’s not really surprising that everything that came out after 1977 was a disappointment in some form or another. Since you appear to be new here, I’ll point out that I’ve seen TPM once and hated it. I’ve not bothered with the second or third prequel. In 1977 I wasn’t interested in how Vader came to be. Forty years later I’m still not interested. He works best as a one-dimensional bad guy.