Although I found for trading/freight play (ie: not pvp combat) the dynamic hud (hud/menus light up based on where you look) worked very well with a gamepad.
Retracting gear becomes: look down to the right, select option from menu. Etc.
HOTAS really adds to the immersion, as the game animates controller actions like throttle change - so even though you see your rendered avatar, the "hands" match your own.
Comical and also accurate.