I just played the demo and had a lot of fun. My real issue is with the multiplayer; is it all a numbers game or do I pick a fleet, try a player made challenge and watch my fleet fight their fleet in a gratuitous space battle? I know in the end it’s all a numbers game but watching my fleet fight is the deal breaker here. I’m sorry if this is a repeat question but I couldn’t find an answer on the second page and the FAQ didn’t specify.
It’s very similar to single player, except the enemy fleet has been created by a human. You still watch your fleets fight. The key is having the right ships with the right orders.
yeah, so it’s basically like you never, ever, ever run out of missions. 
It wouldn’t be very Gratuitous if you didn’t get to see the ships fight So yes, you do see the battles, that’s the whole point 