Yeah that's basically how I've been playing all of this time. It's a little different way of playing and managing the AI, but overall it is very rewarding when a plan all comes together.
But doing that and piloting a ship gives the more benefit to your combat success.Unless you are doing a challenge run of "commander only", then I get it.
Oh I know, I've just never really got around to learning and so I never have.
Not even a single play through have I piloted my ship for battles more then one or twice to try it out. I'm not a big fan of the tank controls and don't really know how to dive sideways, so I just let the AI do it. My only challenge is figuring out he right load-outs and strategy to play without ripping my hair out over the AI. But it's much easier then it used to be at least, with carriers being massively powerful due to the AI's fear of fighters that can't harm them.
I have never fought any serious battle myself, at most I'll make a combat ship my command ship due to picking the right buffs, but it's down to the AI to use them.
Pick and choose your battles, become antiquated with how the AI operates, and it's easy enough to play the whole game without personally firing a single shot.