[mellosouls]

It wouldn't be a problem - as you state in the question - coders used to do that before the web.

This is a rare (?) occasion where old dogs would likely adapt more quickly due to having done it before. Not only will their old muscle memory kick in, they will be more comfortable with the situation.

[Jemm]

Before the web we had decent documentation and books. Also the complexity was much lower.

[pjmlp]

Coding a 3D games engine on a PC / Amiga, or a compiler, might seem simple to modern eyes.