I think it depends on the lighting conditions you shot it in. On a recent trip to Europe I almost exclusively shot delta 3200, often in the daytime with a nd filter. I developed using the somewhat standard shoot at 1600 develop for 3200 procedure. I found that whatever I shot in the daytime was a bit overexposed. However everything shot in dim lighting (which is the general use for delta 3200) came out perfect.
The secret to Delta 3200 film is that is a very low contrast film. If you shoot in normal contrast light, at EI 1,000, which is roughly its natural speed, develop normal, and print at Grade 2, you are likely to get some flat looking prints. If that's what you like - great! Use it that way.
Low contrast at any stage can be counteracted by developing the film longer, which is why people often will recommend to develop at the time recommended for one speed higher than it was shot at. So, shoot at 1600, develop as if you shot it at 3200, or maybe even 6400.
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Now enter the type of lighting that most people shoot this film in - the dark. Often time at night contrast is quite high, with dark featureless shadows and bright bright highlights. Now we are recording high contrast scenes, and this is where Delta 3200 really comes into its own.
When you shoot lighting like this you may not want to overdevelop the film, as is recommended when you shoot in normal contrast, as discussed above.
It is all about the light, its quality, and what you decide to do with it. Black and white photography is a system, where every step between taking the light meter out to spotting the final print is an intermediary. The negative is not an end product; thus it must be exposed and processed such that it fits our vision of what we want our final prints to look like.
