If I understood you right, yes, we did discuss this (sort of); was told that, unlike in the Roadster (where one could practically do one-pedal driving given the aggressive regen and no-creep?!), the Model S will feel 'more mainstream' (my words). For instance, during the beta rides at the factory, to slow down from the 70+ mph that the drivers hit on the straight stretch, they couldn't rely on the more-subtle regen alone and were using the hydraulic brakes heavily.
I don't think this is by intent; rather, it is a limitation of how fast the batteries can swallow regen energy. The car is significantly heavier.