It sound like much more than "thinking and dreaming", he thought about quite concrete points like the number of people being part of the team or the kind of tools he'd use. The only thing holding him back seems to be the IP issue.

I'd add an eighteenth point to the list, if Ron would agree :

It wouldn't include puzzles that require to be a part of a particular culture, or speak a particular language, to solve.

I'm specifically thinking of the "Monkey wrench" puzzle from Monkey Island 2. Let's just say that as a kid, playing the French version of the game, getting past that part of the game was quite frustrating.