Tom, I somehow agree with you: in a totally dark environment, a flashing light is not appropriate.
I use my Strida on lit cycling lanes so car drivers do see my silhouette when they see my lights…
The front light can be seen from far but is not a hazard to look at compared to some other much more powerful lights. In Belgium, people immediately identify a flashing light with a cyclist, which is not the case with steady lights.
On my very low recumbent bike that I sometimes use on dark roads without cycling lane, I have an Ixon IQ at the front and a Blackburn Mars 4.0 at the rear. The last is the German version and has no flashing mode 
. But it is maybe better so 
. In addition, I have Reelights SL 120 attached to the wheel hubs. They don’t have batteries but are powered by magnets attached to the spokes. They provide constant good visibility and are not too brilliant.