You are probably right for analogue and micro stuff erik,but i really wouldnt recommend commiting any hdl to a physical device without simulating it first.hdl simulation is a bit easier to spot problems than analogue simulation
Since no ICE is available, I do simulate my (C)PLDs to get the basics verified. Such simulation is valuable as a verification of the design, but -again- worthless for debugging complex problems. What I do NOT simulate is the '51, There is an almost 1:1 correlation between what you see in the ICE and what you see in the simulator, so why waste time with an inferior tool.

Erik