You start by assuming that the only possible options are two bad ones (chokepoints that eliminate strategy vs. a featureless plane). Then you suggest that it's a "poor and vulgar argument" to say that chokepoints are bad, because if we have to choose between the two then you would rather have chokepoints.
I would suggest that this is something of a straw man argument. You're pretending that the only alternative to chokepoints is an "infinite, uniform, featureless plain." [sic] Of course that's completely untrue. There are many ways that someone could design a better system for travel and warfare. In fact that's the whole point. It's disappointing that they didn't try to do so. They redesigned warfare from one system with no meaningful options to another system with no meaningful options instead of creating a third choice altogether.
Clearly i've expressed myself poorly - this was supposed to be exactly my point. Neither extreme is a good system and we'd be better off with something else. I wasn't saying Stellaris' current implementation is a good system.
That's funny because I remember playing Homeworld and SOASE and not thinking to myself "man, I have no strategic options" despite neither of these games turning space into a chokepoint simulator.
Haven't played Homeworld, but SOASE did have a hyperlane system which revolved around chokepoints...
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