I think pausing is a terrible solution to this problem.
I can understand a differing opinion, but "terrible" seems like an odd word to use. Its not like reinventing the wheel here, pausing is a known and acceptable solution in these types of games, and since it would be completely optional (i.e. don't pause if you don't want to), I don't understand the reaction against it.
Pausing as a solution to the problem you described is more of a band-aid than an actual solution. If the animation causes the target to "duck" behind another character, then you need to be careful to pause at the correct moment and this becomes a new problem.
And when you describe "pausing", what do you really mean? Are we simply suspending all animation and muting sound effects? Do you have to unpause before your character will follow their command? It seems pretty clear you wouldn't be satisfied with just the typical pause menu (which addresses the specific need of letting you take a toilet break, etc).
Really, UI issues should be fixed with UI solutions. You can't target accurately? Well, it'd be best for us to think about how they can improve the targeting UI. I haven't played D:OS in the last few days, but I believe you should be able to target enemies via their portraits, for example.
