So you guys are saying that the Flee button should be considered a cheat, and shouldn't be considered a part of the normal game?
Nah, I am saying that it's there for people who want to take a half-step rather than a whole or possibly because ironman might be so damn unforgiving or <insert some other reason>.
A cheat really is something external, everything else is exploiting mechanics and to be honest, there are too many of them to cover when you push the system towards more open-ended options so you pick and choose which ones you discriminate against in order to preserve the core experience.
Fleeing may very well just be a bit too bothersome to deal with but at the same time the core audience probably isn't looking to flee just like the core audience isn't looking to throw barrels around or bring in external programs.
