I am a really big fan of base building in RTS games, which is why I never liked Starcraft. Bases in Starcraft feel like they have such little rhyme or reason. They are messy and ugly. I always build a ton of bases in games like Tiberian Sun, that, while gameplay wise, are a waste of time and money, feel fun to build and fun to defend and destroy. I think a really cool strategy game idea would be a logistics themed game. One where building more realistic bases all over a map is a strategy so that they can supply and support each other. Maybe you start out with a FOB and you need to expand into guerilla held territory, but you need to build COPs and Logistics centers to keep your troops supplied and protected.
I always hated in Starcraft how clicks per second is a means to measure how effective some one is at the game. I really want to see a game where tactics and unit composition matter, where a platoon of mechanized infantry face off against like a BTR platoon and, using strategy, you pull through. Have each squad with a realistic composition of like a Squad leader, 2 team leaders, a radio man, 2 squad weapons, a crew served weapon, 2 anti tank units, a combat life saver, and 2 rifle men. I think something with that depth, but with a more coherant interface than like Shockforce, and with pausable real time combat would be awesome. Like Arma but an RTS.
What games would you want to see?
I feel like a rogue-like version of the civilization genre could work.
What I mean is:
The latter is needed because the former means you would play many more games. So they have to feel different.
To make games shorter you would probably have to remove any tactical combat. Maybe just say “attack here” and the game automatically sends troops for you, battle it out and shows you the result, in a few seconds. Maybe you can see the battle itself but not play it. Not having to move units on the map should also make the IA play faster and thus reduce waiting time between turns significantly.
To compensate for the lack of depth in combat, city building, building your economy, and random events would have to be made more interesting. Without introducing micro-management that would make the games more tedious and thus take longer.
To make games feel different with randomness, a fantasy setting seems ideal, like in age of wonders. Tons of fun stuff can happen when magic is involved. Focus on telling a story.
Basically I love the fantasy 4X genre but I find the games too long for the wrong reasons (too much micro-management and tedium). Bringing in ideas from the modern rogue-like genre could help fix those issues.