1)
Knight & Merchants(1998)*image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/7/138947/knightsm_screen003.jpg
-- Bluebyte stepped off the trditional gameplay and started Settlers series, i hope they ditch the Settlers franchise and go back to its roots. Even to this day people are making mods for it and even optimizing it for Windows 8. Such is the demand among RTS Micromanage loving gamers. All the formations system in Total War games are inspired from this game.
2) A proper
DUKE NUKUM game
3)
Sacrifice (2000)*upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/08/Sacrifice_by_Interplay_-_formation.jpg
-- This RTS was innovative as hell!! Totally took the RTS genre by surprise but unfortunately it was the age of FPS and multiplayer games so it kinds died out without much publicity
4)
Homeworld(1999)- *springfiles.com/sites/default/files/images/games/strategy/real-time-strategy/0_home001.jpg
A Space RTS on 3 axis, meaning completely 3D.. one of the best RTS ever...dunno why they stopped making sequels