But, is it possible to pause the game (so that the AI does nothing), and scroll around giving commands, making choices, etc., then when you unpause your orders are carried out?
Or are you constantly being sucker-punched because the AI makes decisions
so much faster than you ever possibly could?
I am not asking if this is turn based, so much as I am asking if things can be done by the player while the game is paused, in order to keep up with the AI's inhuman speed?
If not, the game's fatally flawed.

sucker punched all the way.
Not flawed - just old (I think it's a theme on this site). It is part of the game, you have to move fast and keep up. I posted a tip on how to slow the comp down if you're having real trouble, but really a game is only flawed if it is bugged, not if it's hard.

I think we will have to agree to disagree on this one then for fear of getting too philosophical.
The post is here: http://www.gog.com/en/forum/constructor/tips_for_constructor
It isn't suggesting a way to slow down the UI in terms of the speed it processes things at, just a nice trick to inhibit the computers progress while you get started.

Thank you; I missed it because I was searching for a thread started by you, not a comment by you inside another thread. I appreciate your help.

A game is "flawed" when there is something wrong with it.
I believe that entertainment is only one of the factors involved in making a good game. It's crucial, but it also doesn't have to be "cheap".
You have to make an effort in order for it to be enjoyable.
A game is not like a juggler brought before your countenance or a cheap hooker that has to give you pleasure just because you spent a few bucks... it's more like an enchanting lady that gets more enticing as you get to know her.

I bought the game on the hope that your advice would make it playable
"At the start of the game, straight away send your 2 foremen out somewhere, leaving 2 workers who aren't in a work gang in your HQ. Grab these guys quickly, and march them over to the enemy plot. Before the computer has completed either of his 2 buildings, stand a worker on each plot. The computer cannot build while one of your workers is "squatting" on his worksite. The buildings will eventually blow up from not being built, by which point you can either send more workers to squat, or consider that a sufficient head start."
Here are my results so far: when the game starts up, there are a couple of black clad worker types (plumbers or something) and what I think are foremen wearing brown, in the yard. Might be some green clad workers there, also.
You say to send the foremen out, then go to the HQ and get the workers who are not in a work gang.
Here's the problem: as soon as I have the foremen move, a stream of workers come out of the HQ and follow them.
Maybe not a big deal, but evidently there are some kind of rules in the game as to who you can move, and how. I'm not there yet. This game practically screams for an interactive tutorial, IMO.
Next, I try to individually select a couple of workers and send them to the north to squat on the enemy plots.
Here, first problem: what does a plot look like, and how can I tell that it belongs to the enemy? When I click on what looks like ground tilled up for farming, an nasty blast of noise happens, and an angry red circle with an MINUS symbol appears on the mouse pointer.
Next, second problem: it has been literally 10 seconds since the game started, and the enemy has ALREADY FINISHED at least his lumber mill!!!! Once when I tried this, he had both a lumber mill and a cement factory already up by the time my workers had arrived.
The game manual warns that this is a frustrating game, but COME ON! The hyper-mega speed of the enemy is just insane. Cheats, and lots of them, are needed here.
The more you know most women, the more you wish you'd never met them. I'll take a hooker any day. Same with games. I'll take smooth play over "fascinating bugs" and
"challenging" (aka lousy game balance).

I'm sorry if you feel you've wasted your money - I was just trying to help people who are playing.
Anyway - It appears I've not been specific enough. So, the 2 brown coated people are indeed you foremen. when you move either of these people then their workers will follow them. The reason I suggested moving them first is as an easy way to identify the 2 workers who are not in a work gang. This is important as once they are "squatting", you don't want them moved.
Now that we have identified the remaining to workers in the HQ as been unassigned. click on the flag to select one. Now, by workers plots, I mean their building sites, I couldn't think of the term. so before that lumber mill is built (and as noted we only have about 10 seconds, so be quick - go to the mini-map, and look at the opposite corner where the enemy is building that mill. From here you should have enough time to move that worker onto the site where they are building the lumber mill. By "move onto the site", I mean actually press "m" and click on a bit of ground inside the wooden fence for the building - before they finish it.
If you don't catch the lumber mill in time, just stop them at the first house instead. They will only have 2 plots on the go at any time, so repeat this with your other worker when they start up their second plot.
Hopefully that clears things up, however I get the feeling you're not going to be happy with this game - it is an old interface, and an old design - playing games like this helps to highlight how much user experience has advanced. I agree with your statements that the game would be better with a modern style of interface, but you'll find this the case with a lot of games on this site.

You know - this got me thinking. As much as living in a Humian world can be tempting, at least in computer games it stands to reason to think of reality in terms of causality. If you do thing X and thing Y happens, you try doing X again and Y happens again - it's usually fair to assume that X causes Y and that if you do X for the third time - Y will also follow it for the third time.
In your example - it seems to me to be common sense to conclude "Oh, OK - whenever I move the foreman, the workers assigned to him follow his footsteps". You may also remark that it's pretty handy, as you may assign the foreman #1 to group #1 (for example - by pressing CRTL+F2) and use the group key to summon him and his team to places or simply to select him for orders.
That's not really a problem. In fact - you can build it even faster than the AI.
Actually - the speed of the enemy isn't as bad as the amount of thing you have to keep track of.
I still suggest you try playing WITHOUT the AI to get used to the inner workings of the game.
That is - assuming that you are willing to give it a try and actually learn from experience.
While I might be a lousy gamer overall, patience is one of the things games have taught me (I've even beaten I Wanna Be The Guy on Hard... twice).
I feel bad for you.
No, really - I consider myself quite a bitter person but I have yet to reach such harsh conclusions. I doubt I ever will...
Come to think of it - maybe it's just like with Constructor - you're not even trying to comprehend, care only about your pleasure and expect things to be easy and served to you on a silver platter ?
If so - I can only suggest the same thing - keep trying, don't give up easily and actually make an effort, even if it is tiring and painful at times.
These are two different thing. Sure - the AI cheats. Newsflash: it does in most games. Sometimes it's simply less explicit...
Also - a bug is something that the designers didn't intend to put in the game, an "unintended feature" if you will. It also screws up the game to unplayable or close to unplayable state.
This is certainly not the case with Constructor.
As I've said - it's a hard game. It requires a LOT of focus and multitasking abilities.

Thanks. I finally figured this out on my own, before coming here to see your answer. What is unclear is the definition of a "Plot". You can not move onto a plot, you have to wait until they have created the fence-framework of a building, and rapidly place your squatting worker inside before the building can be completed.
Other things I noticed.....eventually, flames will start inside the fence where your worker is standing. Move him out briefly, for 20 seconds or so. Enemy workers may come to the site to finish building. This is a good thing. Move your worker back in, and the enemy workers will stay there but won't do anything. When the fire turns to an explosion, your single worker will die, but he will take whatever enemy workers are inside the fence with him.
The interface really is a bit clunky, but I find I'm enjoying the game quite a bit. I just wish it were turn based. I despise feeling pressured and rushed.
Thank you for your help!!

See ? I knew you'd like it ^^'.

Oh the THEME is hilarious, and fun. It's the GAME SPEED that I hate. You can't blame it on the age of the game, either. "Original War" is equally primitive/old, and it has something that all games should have by default: a speed slider!
If I wanted to play "Hungry Hungry Hippos" and frantically mash buttons, I'd go down to the preschool and join in the fun. But I don't enjoy frantic / frustrating. I can think plenty fast, but I find it VERY hard to remember arcane and complex commands. It is the interface, and the speed, which ruin this game:

Hey - Original War is not "primitive" ! It's an awesome RTS >:[...
Also - screw the speed slider - ACTIVE PAUSE would be AWESOME to have. Honestly - that's all I need: the ability to pause the game, set every damn repair, refurbishing, rent, gadget, tree, tenant, building, undesirable, foreman, etc... and the unpause and watch the game fly by...
Then again - you know what ? They probably didn't include neither active pause nor a speed slider because of the multiplayer. Sure - I know they could have used such a thing exclusively in SP, but I guess they figured that there shouldn't be (m)any differences...
At least we have "pause at events", though...