@tomalak While 5x5 maps force you to use t1 early , and your com, that does not mean you should quit. Neurokinetic skills is sth all RTS players eventually develop one way or another. I am a rusty old player too. Plus, SupCom is not so unforgiving regarding this, compared to other RTS games, cough cough starcraft!
I am not judging , I am simply stating a fact. For a game to degenerate simply to a com rush the other player must allow it. Go on and learn the skills or rather relearn them. You are not going to write a novel if you don't know the alphabet. The illusion that you would be better in big maps, if allowed will not help you . A player that can win against you easily on a small map, because he/she is faster will very probably win against you in a big map, even if he/she deploys simplistic strategies, by virtue of being fast enough . If you think a small map does not allow you to breathe, be certain that in a big map you will only be thinking you have time to think and deploy big strategies, only to find out the other player is coming at you with t3 and t4 until and before you implement them .
PS. The above is exactly the reason why all players should begin from 1v1 ladder then develop to 2v2 or bigger games.