What my theory on the autocalc is is that I want to get the same results that I would get if I RTSed the battle. I usually do with autocalc and even though it can be a bit wonky I prefer that over a system where autocalcing is better/worse than going into RTS. It's not a perfect system but it's better then the earlier system where autocalc almost guaranteed victory with light casualties if you were over around 50% and as a result no one ever took control of a battle that was going well for them.
As for sending in a stream of cheap units to wear down the enemy. Those results are reproducible easily in the RTS mode. It's not a problem with the autocalc it's a problem with how the game is structured (being able to recruit units to accompany your starting forces). It's a little late to change that now (and it is not a huge problem, every game has some OP strategies).
As for rock paper scissors I don't really like that 100%. I like a measure of it though. Because if you fight a imp fighter with a trooper and you enter RTS, you will recruit some units that can fight air units. As a result a trooper vs imp fighter on the strat map can be easily won by the trooper in RTS mode. I guess what I am trying to say is the autocalc should not have it's own rules. If you get the same results as the autocalc when you RTS then it's a great autocalc. I don't think they play a whole RTS in the background (it's probably an abstraction) but it works. If you notice population goes down when you autocalc too. The autocalc is not just fighting those troops that you brought in. Now if the autocalc gave a different result from if you RTS like a much earlier beta did then we would have a problem, but it doesn't.
