Nobody's going to beat you up. It's been my experience that most of the criticism directed at all CC products involves the less-than-user-friendly interface, and I think those criticisms are largely accurate. In some ways, I've found it easier to figure out Photoshop!

But I also agree with you about CC products having the best results. Some of the most vocal CC critics are fans of java-based drawing programs (like Dundjinni), who have described CC maps as 'cartoony' or 'primitive' while pointing out problems with the interface. I concur that earlier versions of CC lacked the ability to handle transparent .PNG files, but the new version seems to address that issue well.

I'd be interested in seeing some samples of your maps drawn in Flash - I don't know the first thing about the program, and I'd like to see its capabilities.