Base-building was an essential part of Generals. Each side had their own unique building methods. GLA used slaves while China and USA used bulldozers. Although slaves built very slowly and could be killed with ease, they were also cheap to produce so you could make a bunch, then disperse them across the map and start building tunnels, traps or expansions right off the bat. The fact that they were infantry instead of vehicles also meant that you could put them in some vehicles or garrison them in buildings, offering further tactical potential. Conversely, bulldozers built much more quickly but were expensive, so losing one at the start of the game was a major setback.
Without base-building, you lose depth like that.
That ignores the fact that most base-building RTS games simply resort to who can rush the fastest. Going online to play was horrible, as I'd be wiped out by people rushing with 5-10 minutes - no time for base building.
Rushing is a given in any fast-paced RTS. You just have to learn how to counter it. Watching replays of the top players helps a lot, as you can see the most effective rush/harass tactics for any given faction. Adaptation is the key to success in strategy games so if you aren't learning from your mistakes, you aren't going to win. Also, don't turtle. Turtling works fine in single-player because the AI isn't very aggressive but it's a guaranteed way to lose in multiplayer if your opponent is even half-decent.
This comment was edited on Dec 11, 2011, 19:53.