Random detail: in an earlier Wing Commander, many subsystems, when they lost hitpoints, would start to randomly reject user input. Repeatedly mashing e.g. the afterburner button until you got the "good" audio signal was one of the most immersive features in the whole game. Your damaged ship could still fight effectively, but it would take increased attention and a bit of luck. Later iterations would just make the subsystem x% less effective, punishing you for taking damage without adding anything to the experience.
Right, just like it was mentioned in TFA, I recall limping back to the Tiger's Claw, not sure if I would be able to hail the ship to request a landing. It was touches like that that made it so immersive.
It was still good though but, combined with some clunky characterization issues (continuity of that is hard moving to real actors), just turned me off the game.
For me the peak was WC2, and Privateer, but WC3 signaled where it lost... something important about the series.