Basically, the issue is that if the control isn't being moved the location isn't provided.
What that means if that if you crash the software, and restart - when the software comes up all the values are zeroed out. Why? Because the assumption is you want all the values at zero - not at wherever they happen to be from your last set or were bumped to during transport.
So suppose in the case above you turned to reboot the software and your headphone cable caught on the pitch control and moved it all the way to the + side. Now you start up the software and drop in a track to start things up and without soft take over when you realize the pitch is all the way up and go to move it, you can't because the pitch will jump to max the minute you move that control. Soft takeover requires you to move the control to the location the software expects it to be before the control can be used to change the values in the software.
While it's frustrating sometimes, it's really a feature designed to keep nasty things from happening when the controls don't match up to the software for some reason.
Personally, I'd love to see a controller with motorized faders and dials. If you used deck switch the values would jump to match the software.

It's be pricey as hell, because I'd also want scribble strips and a lot of flexibility in the controller.... (I'm currently designing a new template for my Maschine controller to work with Cross).