What's your stance on it?
Me, I see it as an equaliser to an AI that can change it's focus instantly and give complex orders to many ships in practically no time.
It's also an opportunity to allow the manipulation of low level systems like the energy or shield settings on a particular ship. Configuration like that is pointless to have in the game when you can't stop time to delve into detail like that.
It simulates you having a staff of competent officers who are supposedly doing things like that.
I do like giving orders and manage things while paused. I agree on all you said and I would add that it makes the game more flexible allowing players to play at their own pace. Some may enjoy to heavily micromanage things and play something closer to a turn based system , some may enjoy to just let the game flow and feel the stress of trying to remain in control while lots of stuff is happening.
One things you guys haven't seen so much in the videos yet is that the player will be able to slow time as well as pause it (likely speed it up as well.)
Some of the bigger battle will have a lot going on, in real life multiple officers would be commanding the Flotilla so it seems only fair somehow 🙂
You can see a very early demo in this vid