Force Commander wasn't that bad a concept. If you've tried the fabled Ground Control (Google and download it if you haven't already, the devs are gving it away for free) and the more widely known Sudden Strike, you know that real-time tactics games can be done very well. What I think both FC and the sequels of Ground Control and Sudden Strike did wrong was allow you reinforcements (OK, FC did a whole truckload of things very wrong, but I'll focus on the reinforcements). Without reinforcements, you're playing chess - proper planning, deployment and execution is crucial to success. I remember Ground Control was awesome in that every map had at least one winning tactic that allowed you to complete the mission wthout a single casualty. Good times.

With reinforcements, though, it's just a matter of building an army, getting it killed, re-building it, getting it killed, and so on ad finitum. Doesn't do it for me. Fair enough for RTS games, but tactical games should be about thinking, just like chess.

Imagine chess with reinforcements. It wouldn't quite be the same, now would it?