You have a point, but competitive 1v1, which OP clearly mentioned that is the only perspective important to him in this discussion is all about trying to be the best at a fucking online internet game.
And catering towards lesser skilled players, so they can also play a relaxing match is just not going to happen in that environment. I mean, how bland and boring will a game become if lesser skilled players could actually play it comfortably?
Competitive, multiplayer and relaxed just don't mix very well outside of coop.
Look, I'm not saying make it easy mode, I'm just saying that some things should be made a little bit less frustrating, like for example OKW holding ground early on in the game.
Or having your emplacements sit idling as a Brit on a large map after the fighting is long gone around them.
At the current moment I am having trouble holding ground as the OKW early game, due to the absence of a Tier 0 MG, and restricting myself from making ANY sort of emplacement with the Brits, because I don't agree with your only in-direct fire unit being static and costing a lot and not being able to dismantle or whatever you want to call it your emplacement after you're done with it like you could in CoH.
I think giving the player more choice on what how to play is better than restricting him and forcing him to play the way YOU want him to, which is what Relic have basically done by locking the MG34 behind a tier requirement and not giving a non-doctrinal mobile in-direct fire alternative to the mortar emplacement for the Brits, they have an alternative for everything else, the Centaur for the Bofors and the Firefly for the 17 Pounder Emplacement, I prefer both of the mobile counterparts but due to the lack of an in-direct fire option I am often forced to dig in with emplacements even if I don't want to because there is no other alternative for me, my vickers are holding the enemy in place by pinning them, but unlike my mortar emplacement, I can move them to another spot where they are needed, and I can't move the fucking emplacement, so after the fighting is done around it it becomes useless and only wastes my pop cap and manpower upkeep due to bad design choices.