I think this, in fact, is the novel and fertile game niche of 5X: explore, expand, exploit, exterminate, extend.

Basically, first we implement Common Lisp (or a similar script language, but why settle for less).  Then we (implement and) publish an API that exports all game data to this Lisp, e.g. ship list, planet manage, influence per hex, and every other kind of number.  Every UI toolbox element simply queries a few data (plural ) from the underlying world model, and displays it somehow, somewhere.  UI elements can float, move, dock, expand/collapse in console-like arrangements, or whatever else you can script with the full power of a Lisp.  (And if the builtin NonMobileDumbListView doesn't, then the community scripts a better one on day 1 of alpha release, and then everybody uses that instead.) UI elements also provide their own local management for whatever they display, e.g. sorting and filters.  Commands simply go the other way: from your mouse/keyboard to your UI widget, and then to an API call that changes the world state.

Whenever there's anything you want to see right now and can't, drop into your UI's code editor and extend your script, and poof, now you can.  If you don't like the way these windows bead and roll down the right side of the screen like they're droplets of water, write your own.  If you think the data you need is scattered across 3 windows and 4 click-pairs, write a new widget that merges them.

I conjecture (with no data) that this might actually make the developers' job easier.  Basically, they get to bow out of all UI complaints and feature requests, forever.  You'll gripe to the community of fellow scripters, and somebody will either have solved it already, or ... you get to do it yourself.  (And if a requested feature is too hard for the community of peers to crowdsolve it ... then maybe everybody will agree with strong evidence that it is, indeed, not feasible.)  Meanwhile, the devs need only provide the Lisp once, and maybe give you a set of vanilla UI elements (which everybody promptly replaces), and then it's out of their bailiwick forever.  Their answer to every complaint or request reduces to: Sounds great, go ahead!

When the API and the Lisp become powerful enough to make AI-like decisions, e.g. a wheel daemon that automatically tweaks every planet's wheel every turn, and squawks to you whenever it can't solve your silly script-of-constraints ... then the 5X richness really takes off.  Scripting the (meta)game becomes a game-upon-the-game.

Well, we can dream If I ever take the plunge and start a game company, this is the premise I'd start with.