This path will never grow weeds.

I'm in the gaggle who would have preferred a PT which maintained the surprises if seen sequentially.

In 1980 Star Wars (1977) became (in terms of the saga) Episode IV therefore what we call the PT should never have been seen as 'Prequels", as in 'a story before another story' but earlier episodes in a single unfolding text.

People already familiar with the OT would have had the delicious dramatic irony of knowing how things would later unfold (and knowing already they wouldn't need to have it underlined anyway) but future generations could watch in sequential order and still gasp as Luke's entire world view (and the audience's) got turned on it's head in Episode V.

Anyone doubting the impact that plot revelation can make (if you hadn't had it muttered like a mantra by the Synod of the Holy Trilogy all your life) should remember George didn't see it coming when he wrote and filmed and presented the first film and yet it still worked.

These films should have been made not only with the audiences of 1999-2005 in mind but should have been made for future generations who would never know a cinematic landscape without Episodes 1-3.

Would this have placed limits on the sort of story Lucas could have told?

You betchya!

As it was without much in the way of limits Lucas made a right royal cock-up of the PT.

Not only were they badly written. directed, acted and shot on visible panty line digital cameras, he couldn't even tie them into what we knew would happen, let alone do it without shoving the big revelations of the OT in the shredder of history.