The focus of Fighting Steel is on maneuvering the ships and deciding what to shoot at given the tactical situation and the strategic objective. You aren't taken away from that level of decision making by personally aiming the guns or managing a damage control team. You're thinking remains focused on that of a Captain or Admiral, and there are positive aspects to that in terms of immersion into that role and maintaining clear thinking about the decisions to be made.

A few other things about the game not all postive: Fighting Steel can handle up to 32 ships in a battle. Weather effects and sea state leave a lot to be desired visually. Ships don't slow down when they turn. I can't Alt Tab out of a battle in progress and return to it because the graphics don't all come back properly. You can save and reload ok.