I just want to say two things:

1. The Pause button enables awesome strategies and gameplans to be wrought (and not just thought). Ever seen/engaged in a battle without the pause button? In my experience, it's either a slaughter or a mess. If I wanted an indistinguishable battlefield scrum followed by a victory or defeat (with little knowledge of how either was achieved), I'd just play Rome or M2TW.

I reject the notion that it's a sin.

2. Bugger multiplayer! If I wanted to get pwned by Greyfox THAT much, I'd just mail him my arse so he could nail it to the wall and kick it whenever he was bored.