I don't mind a pause being added to single-player, although for me, the F10 key works just as well if I need a breather to think.
I have to admit that it seems odd that someone would buy an RTS game if well, they don't want to play an RTS. (Yes, I know you can do auto-resolves in single-player.)
Well, Total War is the best example for such an addition. It's way too stressy to give all your orders in real time, especially if you have many (different) troops and just can't be everywhere at the same time.
There is a simultanous attack on your troops and buildings on two edges of the map? Well, you can't really care about both which is ok in MP because your opponent has the same possiblities as you. If he is faster than you, that's just fine, get better. But in SP you play against a programmed AI which doesn't reflect a real human. It can "cheat" in many ways and overpower you just by using the limitations of your eye and your hands. An AI doesn't have these limitations if it's programmed properly. An AI can control all its units everywhere on the map at the same time (or at least that fast that no human can compete). So a pause mode in SP is just a feature to make the game "more even" again. It's a way to close the gap between human recognition and abilities and programmed AI.
I guess that some experts and RTS pros don't use it and don't need it because they are experienced and use the general weaknesses of the enemy AI. But for less performant and skilled gamers like me there should be the possiblity to "slow the game down".
Just take BG 2. It's RTwP. Something like that I would like to see for Dragon Commander.
