For the games you describe Wingflier, you are asking to react to the opponent.
You are already banging your head against AI world against this desire.
http://www.arcengames.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=AI_War_-_Controlling_The_TempoOthers can describe more intricately why this is so, but from the start you are already running against the grain for the game design.
Secondly, the games you describe are PvP games, not player vs AI games. Maybe the games you mentioned have AI's, but you are not describing the AI of those games vs the AI of AI Wars. PvP is inheriently a more varied game, and no amount of programming in this generation at least is going to be able to compete in that regard. You are playing
AI Wars.
In regard to the railroading of CSG games, I agree, which is why I don't play it. It forces you to do some things, period. It runs counter to the options heavy nature of AI Wars. But the thing is you don't
have to play it, which is why I don't protest it (as long as it doesn't later become mandatory.)
At the core of every strategy game, you have a formulaic components. Take resource A, defend location B, etc. Formulas are not the issue, its how you accomplish said formulas.
Difficulty does play a role here in regard to your steps for AI Wars games.
Step #2 is difficult on 9/9 non-defensive AI's (in terms to winning a game), and almost suicide on 10/10 sans other factors like Fallen Spire. Step #5 is difficult past ARS hack #2 after 9/9 and almost impossible after hack number 3, meaning you have to choose which hacks you do in addition to what units you select.
Given that over time the "worst unit polls" are become closer over time, balance is certainly improving. In addition, some units are great for blobbing but some units are outright terrible but still very effective (autobombs anyone?). What units you considered the best are not the best for other players.
You don't mention defense at all, but it is very real. Timing of when to take a factory IV when you have exo-waves, for example. The moment you take a factory IV you have both a boost and a liability. Because it is a fact that the longer you hold a factory IV, the more likely (over time) that something will cause its destruction. The odds of this happening increases exponentially on high difficulty games because you simply cannot afford the AIP hit to have a buffer zone between borders and your factory IV. So on games that are difficult you must thread the needle about taking the IV so you can push toward the AI HW, but not taking too long before you risk losing it... unless you put a disproportionate amount of defenses to defending said factory IV and in the process threaten other resources.
What makes high difficulty games more difficult somewhat is that your choice of strategic options is limited. You are more limited in what worlds you take (which is worth its own thread in the strategy section), what choices in regard to hacking, what ars to hack, and what ship choices to show.
The choice of what worlds to take is in the end the core of AI Wars.If you don't like this mechanic, you are in the end fighting the very mechanics of AI Wars, which goes full circle to the beginning of this post.