Expositions on the plot can be as long as in ROTJ’s briefing scene (which didn’t affect its overall pacing), there’s no need for waits and conversations longer than there were in the OT.
If you’re going to have espionage scenes and a lot of exposition spread throughout the film it will effect the pacing.
Not necessarily, there’s no need for more exposition than there’s in ROTJ (again, think of James Bond films, like Goldeneye, which have just the right amount of expositions without feeling slow).
Why do you say it would make more sense in a prequel novel?
Because in real life the Cold War could have resulted in a savage species ending conflict. If war did erupt the Cold War would have been seen as the prelude to it. Also STAR WARS and TFA both start in the thick of it; the only film/s that fixated on what started the war was TPM and most of AOTC.
I see what you mean. If conflicts are an asset in SW to you, the Cold War-like setting, in addition to espionage, would still allow for them: Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan were all settings of wars the superpowers were heavily involved with.
So, you could start the trilogy with similar wars, but in space. These conflicts then could escalate in a crisis between the superpowers and, in the final movie, bring to a galactic war and its final solution. It’s definitely possible.
wasn’t half of SW’s plot about Leia being a spy and Obi-wan’s mission to bring the stolen data tapes to the Rebellion?
You’re right but there was a full blown war still going on and the movie changes direction after Alderaan explodes. It seems as though you want the film to go even further than that which will detract for the other aspect of Star Wars.
Well, in this regard not really further, just with a Cold War-like context, in order to easily differentiate it from the OT overall plot (with different kind of conflicts and enemies, so more chances to get creative), while staying true to SW original traits (sci-fi, knights and magic, and our history mirrored through the epic).