It is not that different from optimizing economy in anno. And optimizing economy in anno is too easy.
I think what you want is a quest/mission/story/campaign design.
Some of those games have one. Some don't.
I agree but that's my point. SimCity was made in 1989, we can't blame that for it's basic economy and building. Even as a kid I wished it had an endgame or a whole military side to it, but I knew it was early days for gaming. But in the 90s games grew bigger and more advanced. Even early RTS, it is building and an economy to balance not much different to SimCity, but on top of that was a whole exciting wargame with lots of depth to it. And then games like Age of Mythology and 4x games and stuff have pushed it further and further. So when someone makes a basic building game now, it seems like 40 years of devolving.
Because as a wargame player in 90s, I found RTS's war elements extremely boring and arcade.
I only play it for E-sport rank PVP experience. I never treat it as wargame.
Have you thought about how detailed those military or city building elements should be?
you mentioned shooting rocket into sky, I assuming that is KSP.
If you have a very detailed simcity game that shoot KSP rocket with ARMA combat and steel beast tank simulation.
Do you think that is possible or playable?
If you think some of them should be less detailed. Then it become a jack of all trades game, basically civilization.
But people who played KSP want to have that rocket details, They already think KSP rocket is too arcade and not enough detailed.
they don't just want to shot RPG abstract stat rocket.
Think about fishing in a RPG game.
It just an abstract stat, maybe some basic bait items and abstract mini game.
It might satisfy normal players, but it will never make fishing nerds think it is remotely fishing.
I am not trying to be rude. It is an interesting question. And I am not opposing that kind of all inclusive and all very detailed game.
But I don't think it is very possible, and it also depends on how detailed you want your game is.
And think about star citizen. It tried to do many things.
Some of those games are not really for general players anymore.
They have a very specific audience.
It is like now you have RL racing nerds playing racing game.
That audience is already different to "car in RPGs" or racing game in 90s.
Also because this is a RPG site. So age of empire and simcity are both in general gaming or "strategy" .
But if you go to a proper city building game forum.
And suggest age of empire has city building elements.
People will scream decline and say age of empire should be move to general gaming.