It's kind of a moot argument that classic Elite had speed limits - sure it did, but only insofar as it also had monochrome wireframe graphics... it was an innate limitation, in what was, at its core, a sandbox space sim with unparalleled freedom. To that end, FE2 & FFE were faithful successors - logical steps forwards.
Putting space speed limits back in today is akin to returning to wireframe GFX... a massively regressive step back from what Elite really wants to be at its heart.
And i disagree that it's necessary for multiplayer dogfighting - supercruise as an alternative to time acceleration, certainly. But space speed limits are quite unnecessary, and don't fit at all. There's no good reason we couldn't re-zero our 'blue zone' handling envelope at the touch of a button, without physically decelerating, since velocity in space is purely a function of arbitrary reference frames, which can just as easily be virtual as physical.
Much of the compromises attributed to the multiplayer aspect are simply more accurately described as false dichotomies, and missed opportunities... There is no fundamental conflict between in-game velocity and network latency; it's been built into the game due to their measuring absolute speed WRT coordinate space, rather than relative speed WRT surrounding entities. As momentum builds, positional accuracy becomes more certain, not less, and interaction windows reduce - lowering network overheads, instead of raising them.
Aside from the sorely impoverished flight mechanics, just look at the terribly awkward and clunky "duh, missions!" board, and fractured "passenger lounge", with its neurotic passenger likes and dislikes etc. - OK so you missed out on FE2 & FFE, but with them FD established a far superior 'bulletin board' system that much better represented the life, feel and realism of starport activities. Had they carried this over into the multiplayer game, we could browse for all our missions on something akin to Craigslist, with most of the content provided by ourselves, with all the zany randomness that would entail, from 2nd hand module sales, permits and licences / docs (legit and fakes), new and used ship sales, ride hailing, jobs wanted / offered, rewarded missing persons / wanted posters (great for emergent bounty hunting, retribution missions / hitman contracts / mafia hits etc.), as well as black market and contraband dealers (as we had in FE2/FFE)...
In short, FE2 & FFE built upon and further developed the concepts introduced in classic Elite, whereas ED makes an about-turn on that whole principle and abandons everything that made the prequels so compelling.
If ED had developed upon FE2 & FFE in the same manner those games built upon classic Elite, it would've broken t'interwebz and taken over the world.. and that's what stings the most. The potential greatness they've squandered, for the mediocrity they've settled for... it's just idiotic sacrilege..
Glad you like the game, and it's somewhat understandable having missed out on FE2 / FFE, but for me it's a total washout, and could've been so much more..