It would probably go as far as selecting battlegroups on the system map by mouse-over and giving them orders by pressing somewhere in space, given it's two-dimensional.
The problem he described would also maybe need some extra functionality, like a position a certain distance from the target in a heading dependent on the target and the current position, so with just a few clicks and orders you could split up a fleet of ships and surround a slower or unsuspecting enemy without using waypoints.^^
But I'll let him talk
PS: If you go in this direction, why not also allow controlling of crew cycles etc, and moving seasoned crews to new ships, optional as overhauls?
PPS: Given we've talked about Neutron Bombs now, shouldn't that include lower damage, but temporary EM?
Like, Missiles effectively doing less permanent damage than now, but shutting down that CiWS for a few seconds or something?
And Missiles having different effects based on atmosphere?