I honestly think those limitations makes it hard to make a small project or even to start to getting to know the engine a litle better. As for now what I can see is a lot of users trying the engine and giving it up too soon because they strugle to create simple games with it.
I've been making tutorials and simple games within Construct's limitations for at least 5 years now.
It is possible to make simple games (simple as in all the template games provided with Construct, check this tutorial).
It, sometimes, requires some work-arounds, but is perfectly possible and displays how events work and the instance system as well very capably.
It is, of course, far more comfortable to use without any of the limitations.
Also, education prices for C3 are actually lower and the system is far more convenient for teachers/managers/students than any offer C2 might have had in the past.
You can open Construct 2 projects in Construct 3, even if they go beyond the free editions limitations and preview them. You cannot edit (modify) them, that's it.
If a project does not open, it is possibly using a third-part addon, and this has nothing to do with free edition limitations.
There is a saying in French that literally goes as : You can't have the butter and the money from selling the butter.
I have a feeling what this discussion is pretty much asking to have all Construct for free (500 events is bonkers, C2 only allowed you 100, why should C3 offer 5X more ?), which, as already explained in previous posts, would simply end up with Scirra going bankrupt and no more support for either C2 or C3.