But second, even if you do simplify these games down to RPS, I don't think it's a bad thing to have that be the core of the game design. In fact, I would say just the opposite.
It is boring as hell, I just end up playing realistic war games because it feels unsatisfying and rote to play the same type of boring RTS over and over again where you micro death blobs of identical units in a boring repetitive and tedious fashion.
I'm not super familiar with BAR but most I've what I've heard about it makes me feel it fell flat as a game. I was never interested in it personally because of theme.
Then you don't know what you are talking about.
Beyond All Reason and Spring Engine games have been in development with an active playerbase for two decades.
Supreme Commander Forged Alliance Forever is another spiritual successor to Total Annihilation that is very good, and people still play Total Annihilation a ton itself too.
Planetary Annihilation is another TA inspired game.