It seems to me that the work is not being done in the right direction at all. Perhaps it would make sense to fix the number of objects in certain zones, on certain templates, but definitely not to change their value, which everyone has long been used to.
So, in my opinion, this latest plugin is exactly what's needed – after the template editor, this plugin is the next step towards longevity – the work is moving in the right direction. And now I know at least one programmer who can handle that important thing you're talking about here; he may even understand better what is most important.