Apart from the quests of Obi-Wan and Anakin, Episode II would focus mainly on the transition between Republic and Empire, and Episode III would focus mainly on the destruction of the Jedi. My goal with this storyline wasn't to not spoil the reveal, but to give people an option to, if they choose, not spoil the reveal while still getting a fulfilling story. I wan't to give people a lot of options when it comes to viewing order, something that I consider to be a big problem with the Lucas prequels is that there really isn't a definitive viewing order at all. I would like to give people not one definite viewing order, but several that can all work equally well based on what they are looking for story-wise. The idea for Anakin cutting down his troops after losing their trust actually comes from an idea Lucas had around the time of ROTJ, though I can't remember where I read it. In terms of how characters get from one place to another, you're right to say my Episode I is similar to the Lucas prequel. However, the overall plot and characters are so different that I don't think it will matter.