First Paragraph.
and have read my reply to Kolaris?
What I meant was, in CoH2 the early game has a lot less rock paper scissors because there isn't much of an early game. Like I said there is less time to exploit the weaknesses of his infantry composition when tanks are coming so quickly. For example even if the M8 did not beat the Pak on the field you could still use it in other areas of the map. But if you don't get a T70 out in optimal time then P4 shows up like 30 seconds later and kills it immediately. If guy is spamming vetted grens in CoH1 you have a decent window of time where snipers shift the advantage back in your favor, but if you try a similar approach in CoH2 you have the FHT arriving at almost the same time, or a Ostwind just a couple of minutes later. You don't have the sufficient amount of time to punish a poor early game player.
edit: So a longer early game and global upgrades are both equally important, because having more options in the early game is pointless when the early game is practically over once you get your first 5 units on the field.
I really don't like any kind of rock paper scissors approach to any game, because it requires a lot of guess work then tactics and strategy. I'm not saying vCoH is, but just comparing the game to rock, paper, scissors is a bad way to go things and makes it seems like you lack creativity with tactics or strategy. I like my games where there are hard counters, soft counters, or the medium therefore there would be many different ways to defeat your foe depending on how you use them.
Like your example with snipers, a vet 3 grenadier costs the same as a vet 0 grenadier. Snipers are really effective against the Germans regardless of vet. If snipers are the only counter you have against vet 2 grenadiers then this game really is a rock, paper, scissors and I found that to be a flaw. Thankfully, there are other counters like grenades, flamethrowers, quick Sherman.
I also agree that this game needs a longer early game but having global upgrades is not the only way to diversify game play. How bout more different kind of light vehicles? I made this suggestion a while ago, there are many other better suggestions then global upgrades that could make this game great. It just seems like you're trying to make this game just like vCoH.