A few newbie thoughts:
It seems to me that the complexity issue is irrelevant as long as there are enough "simple" parts for us beginners and that there are enough experts to do the hard bits.
That said, if there are too many parts then the odds of one or more not fitting are increased, as is the chance that the engine may not operate when assembled. Certainly the experienced guys could make it work, but any post-assembly tinkering may be beyond the capabilities of newbies.
The current build means everyone received all the parts and assembles the engine. An idea might be to have one or two of the experienced people receive parts first, put them together, and ensure that either the engine works, or some parts need rework, or at least what assembly tinkering might be needed.
I would really love to participate in the next build, but since I start my lathe class in 2 weeks I doubt my skill level will be up to par. I am looking forward to build # 3 though.