IMO, it's not a cheat. You only get renown based on the "Realism" (sic) settings at the time you score it, not those you started with, so no renown advantage is gained. If, as you suggest, someone switches to unlimited fuel to RTB, then they will only get credit for the patrol based on their difficulty level at patrol end - no advantage there. And you can increase your difficulty level in mid-career, if/when you realize that you do not like your current settings. You can, for example, switch to manual targeting because you are ready to try it, without having to start a new career. I have used the technique a couple of times when I started a career without remembering to set the "Realism" (sic) options to 100%. It's easier than having to trash the career and start over.
Of course, I don't understand what the term "cheat" means as applied to a non-competitive game like SH4 anyway. It's only a matter of personal achievement, not competitive rank. If someone wants to claim an artificially inflated score, they can just make whatever claim they choose without actually having to play the game at all.
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