This is really getting kinda OT, but:
Originally,
SunAge had a targeting system where squads of units could be given a preferred target, but would ultimately fire on their own.
That made microing far less important (in fact, impossible sometimes), thus increasing the importance of strategic decisions (unit composition, where to attack) over tactical clickyness.
Very tabletop'ish. It's a nice system, truth be told, as long as some rules are followed. However, it would switch the focus from
targeting to
movement, to let players send the less valuable/vulnerable troops in the fray.
I would have liked to see it in action, though.
On the regards of "clicking", the point made by Johannes (Attention span is a limited resource, and a player must choose what to sacrifice and what to focus upon) makes me think about one of my favourite RTS hybrids: Battlezone 1998. Sure, the initial release had subpar AI and the unit limits are harsh (we are talking of "battles" of 12-20 units tops) but the simple fact that the
player is a physical unit in the battlefield (and one of the most effective ones, depending on individual skill) makes it quite peculiar during a match.
Resource management can't be microed. You can barely choose a zone where to build a resource silo and let the AI eco units do their thing, because no one is insane enough to micro harvesters while the enemy is rushing you.
Direct combat can't be microed, bar for targeting priorities through combat groups. It's kinda difficult to manage "dancing" units and the like when you are getting shot/sniped and you are a
physical presence on the battlefield. Often secondary attacks are simply "Attack from that direction and hope the AI manages not to screw it up too bad".
Strategy (what to build, where to place it, expansion routes) is paramount, while on the tactical level it's mostly squad composition and personal skill at combat that choose a winner: sure, someone can be a master pilot, but if he can't place correctly his harvesters, replace losses or choose the right units he's dead. On the other hand, a good pilot can overcome a master planner through direct skill.
The point is, even if you
force and
give to someone tools to avoid microing, if there is even a limited advantage to gain from it people will take it and micro as hard as they can because it's optimal: the only way to avoid it is to build a game that simply requires that the attention/energy given to microing is given instead to something else: in the case of Battlezone 1998, direct combat.
And it's 1000 posts on the 'Dex! Shame! SHAME! SHAME!