The old control layout is still available with a hotkey IIRC. The control scheme was really only effective with a joystick until they adopted the new default mouse-friendly scheme with TC. I don't have a joystick so I don't know how it plays with those, but I found it to be fun and intuitive, and the AI is relatively sharp when you get into big dogfights. A lot of people say that take issue with the fact that the game caters to a keyboard+mouse control scheme. The combat mechanics aren't any where near terrible, and I personally like them.
Want to be a wing for hire and patrol the galaxy and hunt marauders? You can do that. Want to own a massive military fleet with capital ships and the like and invade an enemy empire to take over lucrative trade routes? You can do that. Want to become a pirate with 100 ships in your wing. This is the best description of the game right here. It is really just a big space sandbox that is there for you to build an empire in.