Can't help you most of those questions. Didn't play much of Battlefield 1942, but I would say this game is a little more arcade/faster pace. Your aim doesn't change regardless if you are crouched down or prone, and you don't have to toggle your weapon up into the firing position either. So it doesn't have the "realism" factor but it does have some fairly intense combat.
The control I like a lot, but maybe because I'm a videogame/computer gamer. Very very simple. Forward, backwards, turn left/right... fire main weapon, fire secondory weapon, jump, crouch, prone, reload (though you'll most likely use autoreload) and zoom are the main keys you'll be using.
Each class has two weapon slots. The first slot is your main weapon and a back up weapon (so like a rifle and a pistol.) You can't change what weapons you have, only way to do that is to pick a new class when you spwan. Each class also has a secondary weapon slot. The basic fighers have two types of grenades while the pilots have a tool to repair things (ships, droids, turrets, etc) and they can also throw out a cluster of supplies (bacta tank, ammo, energy). The scout class for the Rebublic also has a seeker droid that you can fly thought he battle field. It comes with a small blaster and can call in a one time bombardment on an area.
Some weapons use energy and rechage on their own, while others use ammo. To restock you need to visit a "power droid" and stand near it and you will see your ammo count going up. Or you can ask a pilot to hook you up with some supplies but the droids are very useful in the game. There are three.. I know what two of them do, ammo despenser and a medical bot that heals you.
Cant speak on graphics either, I think it looks great but I have all the settings on low.. But the sounds are great, familiar Star Wars sounds and music throughout. You'll learn to fear the sound of a snowspeeder quickly.
I did get it to work smoothly, and I was having fun last night. I took the chance of lagging someones server and got on mulitplayer but it ran just as well as single player for me. All I can say is I feel sorry for the Imperials.

The battles are just nuts, and it is very scary to hear the sound of a snowspeeder coming after you. Those things are so fast, you better pray your not out in the open or the pilots will blast you and zoom off. I was ducking and cringing as I trid to run my trooper further into the battle.
I've read some complaints about the size of the maps which I thought might be a problem for the game but after playing it some more I do think they work. The main modes work some like Unreal Tournament where you have nodes that you are to capture but not in any real order. The majorty of the fighting takes place at these "command posts", or on the way to them so there isn't really a need for a lot of space. It helps keep the action at a high pace with there not being to much room to run around in but I found it to be more then enough.