One notable aspect of "then vs. now" that doesn't get mentioned a lot is there wasn't nearly the emphasis on "franchise/saga building" that there is now. This isn't just limited to Star Wars. Unlike the prequels (and even the newly altered 6-part saga, where new "connections" are prized by fans and the movies have had their original look altered/homogenized for consistency), the 3 original trilogy movies were allowed to each have their own style and feel. 3 different directors, multiple writers (plus extra little writing contributions by the Huycks, Harrison Ford, Kershner and even Marquand) and 3 different cinematographers. Everyone has such a hard-on for continuity and consistency now, but back then it was ok, even desirable, for each movie to be more of its own thing. The Indy trilogy is like this too.