> I don't see how playing hours of Starcraft and C&C wasn't an exercise in strategic thinking.

You're kidding, right? Those RTS, particularly Starcraft, are an exercise in APS more than anything else.

* For non-gamers, APS = actions per second. Being able to issue more commands than your opponent and "micro" (from the word micromanage) your units to tightly control their behavior are a large part of winning Starcraft. It's fascinating to watch high level Starcraft players clicking their mice at an almost inhuman rate.