I really don't understand why people are whining that this game is too hard etc. because its NOT.
[...]
While I see myself as a veteran RA2 player I really don't think that i'm anything special[...]
Yes you are, you are a veteran RA2 player and as such, you can't even imagine what is it like to be less skilled than you.
This is something that crops up during testing as well, especially when it comes to some of our (I'm using plural here as to refer to the developer team I work for) most veteran testers and our oldest fans. It is a bias that comes with experience and being used to something.
Like... take this example: When you load up an FPS game; look at your hands: They are already positioned on the WSAD, and the other hand is on the mouse. You already know how a game controls because you're a -veteran gamer- . But try the same with someone who doesn't play games, like your mother for example. I'm sure she will have no idea what to touch at all! I recently had a similar feeling when I first tried VR games, and I had no idea how to control them at all.
This is a bias most people can't really notice at all, but it effects testing a lot; hence why we tend to get new testers whenever there's a new game to test (while keeping the old ones, as they often useful for more advanced information as they are usually more knowledgeable about the game mechanics).