Indeed some FLs have too many cycles
.... that, as Thomas wrote, are other standard cycles with some options selected by default.
I.e. in the euro mieles "dress shirts" is basically a "perma press" without interim spins, with max 600 rpm final spin and with a default waterplus/higher level.
"Jeans/denim" is again a "permapress" without interim spins, with a 3rd rinse and max 900 rpm final spin
"dark clothes" is a "cottons" with higher wash/rinse levels, interim spins and max 1200 rpm final spin instead of 1600
So which cycle works best to wash some black denim shirts ??
They're shirts, but they're denim and they're black too ..
Choose Perma press with waterplus/higher level, low/med spin speed and go !
To cut a long story short, I think that user's brain is the best programmer.
It's the user that should force the machine to do what he/she wants, not the machine performing mystery cycles.
When one learns driving cars, he/she (should) learn the behaviour of the car in various situations.
The same should be with washers. The consumer should know why the machine has a certain behaviour. I.e. why wool can't stand tumbles and it can't stand pulse spins ? Why syntetics do need a cooldown at the end of the washbath ?
I am not saying that everyone should have the skills of professional laundry techs, just should know a little more about this mysterious "washing box" .
Everyone drives a car, but not everyone is a F1 driver ;-))
Yet everyone should know how to drive on wet/frozen roads
Sadly companies don't think so. They deal with customers as they were cave people, giving them silly things such as that stupid "stuffed animals" cycle in the new W5000/6000 mieles.
Who could use that ?? maybe MrBean as Teddy's spa ?!?

)
Not a case they have also some "plain" models (W3903 - basic cycles, big prints, no gadgets)