Is it just me or is this game fuckhard?
I've reached the 8th mission (craycorp), and I'm starting to get my ass handed back to me in bloody bits. Up until 3 missions ago I was trying to keep my squads alive so they can rank up, but that's all gone down the drain now, having the priority to actually win the mission.

I played it way back now, and yes, I thought it was hard too. But then, RTS games aren't my best type of game, as much as I like them.

Yeah, they're not my best game type either, though I constantly seem to find myself trying to play them and almost constantly failing miserably at it.
O well.

I'm finding this to be the hardest real-time strategy game I've ever played... on the easiest difficulty mode.
Seriously. I'm stuck on Mission 6 of Dark Conspiracy, and I can't even win when all of my units have god-mode on.

It always did require sound tactical manoeuvres and good strategic (what units, where) choices, which is one of the reasons some of us are so loyal to it even all these years later. I already own the physical copy but I missed out on the expansion and I had the sequel but seem to have lost the entire thing (disc, manual, even the box) so I bought the two products on here, figuring that the developers deserve the support, even it just amounts to a pat on the back from GOG and that supporting GOG will enable them to continue this excellent idea they've launched and therefore expand access to more games, which would be good because much as I love Valve's game products, Steam is annoying and a rip-off, especially outside the USA.
It's important to pay attention to the strengths of the weapons systems you are using and the weaknesses of the units carrying them and make sure you engage opponents with the best combination of units, as well as making use of tactical edges, like high ground, choke points and so on. Many games are pretty forgiving in this regard, the GC AI will spank you, hard, for it.

Almost finished the original game, I didn't find that game so hard... I'll recommend people to be patient and use infantry because they're extremely efficient for recon duty because they walk in places tanks couldn't reach. They're also smaller so harder to target and to it. They got an option to smash down tanks in case there's no support around and when in battles just make them advance so to they can fire in the rear. Craven Jaggers are perfect in recon and forward observers duty for your artillery barrages, and my preferred... Order templars, the most effective tanks destroyers of the game also pretty good for base attacks as they can be close to walls or other buildings ans still hit their target while being safe.