get the points where the direction changes by breaking the screen into zones and look for sequences like high point left,low point mid,high point right...the user made a "V" shape, you could have several hidden hotspots that where quite large that had to be passed through in the correct order for the specified shape, me I would right click and let em select a symbol from a cabalistic type wheel or something, gestures are a gimick and often don`t work when you want em in a hurry (as in Black and White), they are not what I call a proper control system, at least provide the option of another control method if you feel you must have gestures.
why do they say Aliens are gonna be friendly?, surely the agressive ones wipe out the peaceloving ones, so all you have left out there are crazed flesh eating interstellar monsters.