"RTS nerds take this as an invitation"
Ok I will.
A) Console RTS's blow. They just don't work well, if at all. Choosing one to introduce yourself to the genre was like choosing to take meth cut with Drano to get an idea of what being high is like.
B) RTS's very wildly within the genre. One extreme is the base builder, with mass's of units where "micro" is relatively less important and any given unit is very unimportant. The embodiment of this is Supreme Commander. Large scale, economy heavy etc. The counterpoint is are RTS's (sometimes called RTT (real time tactics)) that focus on a very small number of units, with very little base building where the focus is on units, and controlling them instead of your economy. Company of Heroes or Dawn of War II are excellent examples of this.
C) You will probably most enjoy the later from your description of what you dislike about RTS's. Relic (as the current march mayhem polls show) is an excellent developer for this. Take the opportunity to review Dawn of War II or the new Company of Heroes expansion Tales of Valor.