I believe any such feature would be detrimental to the normal xcom gameplay.
And I won't implement features that I don't believe in.
If you're playing mods that send your supersoldiers to kill helpless cows, you are free to switch to different mods, that don't do that and give you a balanced challenge.
With all due respect, I don't see many people asking for it.
A dozen or so is not many. It's a few.
Lastly, OpenXcom is and will always be free and open.
Feel free to implement any feature you like and share it with others if you want... even in this very thread.
Topics related to auto combat or similar mechanics have been floating around since 2011.
Many people do not write about this simply because they do not want to register, create a topic, and the like. I am one of those who registered on the forum only after five years of playing.
I think a lot of people would like this feature if it were the default. I am sure that such a function would make life easier for more than a dozen people.
It must be understood that depending on the mod, the duration of the game and the types of missions are greatly increased. If, conventionally, for vanilla such a function is not necessary, then for mods that take 5 times longer, such a setting is already relevant.
I understand your position. Anything that damages the gameplay in the trash.
If I could implement something like this I would do it and put it out for everyone. Unfortunately my knowledge of coding is not enough to create something like this. I just have to wait for a person who can realize it.
By the way, as far as I know, cheats work only when the debug mode is activated. Not every person will think of activating it. Not everyone will seek a solution to a problem.
What I mean is that the vast majority of people use only what is given by default. Many do not even know that files can be edited with notepad...