I totally am with you on this.
I recommended having a commander similar to your role in World in Conflict.
The commander basically gets:
1. Creeping Barrage - Select direction from where to where, profit.
2. Concentration barrage - i.e. what we have now
3. General Barrage - Wider area, sustained for longer period
4. Close air support: Bombing run - Spot a location, have a plane fly over sync with explosion a la Ramelle - Deadly to tanks.
4.5 Close air support: Strafing run - Spot a location, have a plane fly over sync with cannon HE fire over a stretch a la Ramelle with a twist,
5. Concentration bombing - Medium bombers, like General Barrage, but deadlier to armor, less deadly to people in concrete bunkers.
6. Spotter plane - about 3 runs of a plane moving from one end to the other with intersection at a key area.
7. Priority artillery barrage - Friendly arty guns automatically fire at commander spot, even if the arty gunner is on it.
8. Naval barrage - Similar to Concentration barrage and general barrage, but from ships. The gun moves to face the direction as per BF2 engine and fires successive shells.
9. Smoke barrage
10. Illumination flares
11. Air burst artillery barrage - Late war, using proximity fuses for ground artillery, specifically for killing entrenched infantry
12. Core artillery - Biggass guns, tank flippers.
13. Rocket artillery.
14. Supplies
15. Glider support. Glider flies in and lands, creating a destructible spawn point. It needs to survive the landing though - Could also have limited spawns, after which time it wont allow more to spawn.
16. Support gun and scout vehicle air drop.
All assets are map-dependent and side dependent.
ALSO,
the commander should be able to give 'MOVE' orders for various units - Some are squad level, some are team level.
i.e
Need air support here will place a plane icon with line at the point targeted for pilots to heed
Need arty barrage here will place the 'active artillery' icon with line at the point targeted for artillery crew to heed. The spot will give them a new 0-0. which they can use to fire at the commander's target.
Need defensive positions here will NOT create a bunker, it will however let infantry of the squad selected know that they need to dig in and hold that position.
Need scout spot here will call for scout planes to hover over an area, so friendly scouts, scout planes/ vehicles move to an area and spot, (scout vehicles should be able to spot easier)
Combined, the commander will be able to seek out his own intel and make tactical decisions that dont just AID the army, but instruct it and direct its focus.
I also recommended having field radios i.e static backpack radios and pickup backpack radio + general rifle for general infantry, and handheld radio kits that can ONLY be used by commanders and Squad leaders. The former works within a range, to allow commanders to radio over rather than voice over, and the latter will make them autonomous, not requiring being close to the static kit or radioman to use... However, they will still need a mobile or static command truck, tank or seat to use their assets.
I would suggest the command tank, which like the halftruck will allow the commander to use his assets... It should however use PR's system to prevent players sitting in that position. I wont say, bleed em and kill em, but then we already have that if you go out of area, and since this is just for the commander, I say why not - Bleed em!