Yeah, you're not the only one who had that impression. A few people who played the game for me mentioned it and the confusion about the stealth not actually being a game mechanic. So that's definitely something to keep in mind in the future.
I'm not a big fan of emulators and have been completely confused by the use of arrow keys and z and x being commonly used. It wasn't until a couple months ago that I downloaded a gba emulator to play Pokemon Fire Red and realized why that those control schemes were being used consistently. So I definitely get that. Thats why I try to include gamepad support or alternate keys.
And thanks! I'm glad I was able to communicate the chillness haha