@kaneskindness, the main issue is going in with the expectation that Rivals is going to be like past CnC games .
Within the mobile gaming realm, what they are doing are not any different than other successful mobile games.
I'm actually around your level (just turned Level 15) and I havent paid a single cent and am still enjoying the game the same way I do with other mobile games.
I meet random foreign units once in a while (read my obelisk post) but they all can be best with lower level units. Watch some of C&C TV reolays and you'll find that not all players are using some of the shiny new things. Read up about them or ask for tips here.
Personally, I think EA has done a decent job with translating it to a mobile device. I can actually play it on a phone. There's obviously room for improvement and maybe their 'deals' need work but I don't feel that the battle to climb is that skewed as you have described
