I guess I'm going by my initial instinct when I saw it as a kid, and that's what sticks with me, that the heroes were trying to escape, and the stormtroopers were honestly trying to kill/capture them. You're right, there are things which could possibly (from a certain point of view) could make it appear that the troopers are 'holding back' to allow escape. Okay. Maybe I can buy it.

BUT

ROTJ I can't. They should've been as deadly as they were in ESB. Them battling Ewoks and the Ewoks having one casualty (oh sure, I'm sure there were more offscreen), and the troops being taken down so easily. Just doesn't work as well for me as it did in ESB, or even ANH, where they were "holding back." Were the troopers "holding back" in ROTJ, too, to allow the characters to escape or win?