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Possibly the greatest yet least obvious enhancements in Cataclysm are the new interface features. Cataclysm adds many improvements to the Homeworld interface that make the game much more approachable. When Homeworld was first released, there was some disgruntlement about it not having a waypoint feature. Thankfully in Cataclysm the player has been given liberal use of waypoint options. Way points can be assigned from the Sensors manager and include three different modes. Linear way points allow ships to follow an assigned path and stop at the end. Circular waypoints provide a means to assign ships to patrolling duty, as the ships will continue following the assigned waypoints indefinitely. End-to-End waypoints allow assigned ships to progress to the end of the waypoint path, then make a U-turn and follow the path back in a cyclic pattern. Adjustments to height within a series of way points allow the player to take advantage of the 3D universe in Cataclysm.

The Sensors manager has been improved with the added ability to give any assignment that would normally be given from the main screen. This allows far greater control over an entire fleet and the game can practically be played from the Sensors manager alone. A tactical overlay provides better visibility on the playing screen when it becomes difficult to judge height and depth, or when there are so many ships on screen that it’s hard to navigate or issue movement commands. Research and build screens remain very much as they were in Homeworld, but a new Systems manager allows a quick glance at the individual modules that the command ship has been upgraded with. From the Systems manager, you can also launch groups of units that have been docked.

Commanding groups of ships in Cataclysm is a simple task once you become accustomed to the 3D environment of the game. Drag selecting is used most often for selecting ships, but to make your tactics more efficient ships can be assigned to groups with a hotkey. With a right-click and hold of the mouse, the interface can be fully rotated in any direction. Holding down both mouse buttons allows for zooming the camera in or out, just as in Homeworld. Half a dozen ship formations are available ranging from the ‘sphere’ to the ‘wall’. Custom formations can also be assigned by pressing a couple of keys after the ships have been aligned in the desired manner. A right-click menu makes it easy to give individual orders to selected ships.