You really don't have to manage units yourself once you set up their AI parameters, though you can micromanage if you want. I really haven't done anything aside from the tutorials and a small skirmish, so I really don't know what is typical.
The graphics are actually very nice. They might not be the most technically proficient visuals ever, but similar to SupCom, they are impressive when scale is taken into account. Unlike SupCom, though, this came doesn't make it seem like your PC is about to explode.