I was never very good with RTS games, and I think I only got worse with time. I like the relaxing pace of turn based games so much more, and StarCraft isn't an easy game for people who don't like multitasking in a mad rush. But I would love to play something that looks and feels like StarCraft. A similar mood, setting, not a 4X strategy, but something focused on tactics, with very basic economy (if any), with a good single-player campaign. The closest thing I know is Battle Worlds: Kronos, which I had a ton of fun with, but, well, obviously I played that already. So, is there anything else out there that might fit the bill?

I've never played it, but Battle Isle: Incubation seems pretty similar in terms of setting (you play a squad of "space marines" fighting aliens).
Of course it's very old with horrible graphics, so maybe too dated.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall fits perfectly for the setting and the tactical battles. It might be a bit heavier on the economy part, but not really much, at least not to the level of most 4X games.

Furthermore, Incubation is bundled with Battle Isle games, that Kronos is inspired by, so if you liked Battle Worlds chances are you will like this series too.
https://www.gog.com/game/battle_isle_platinum

https://www.gog.com/game/shadow_tactics_blades_of_the_shogun Is not turn based but plays very slow, just like a TBS game. Where eventually you need some multi tasking, the game has a "shadow" mode where you can record the needed moves and press play to get them executed at the same time.

It's not startcraft TBS but is a tactics game with little to no long term strategy.
As a RTS it mostly plays slow so some people get bored but is a great game and actually uses some Japan history as setting.

Also, it has a quick save/load button that works (wasn't always like that) and let you try different techniques during missions. It's not save scumming, it's a feature.

I still like and enjoy Traditional RTS games but prefer turn based games since I owned my ZX Spectrum.

I use to play the RTS games at low speeds. If the game lets you do it I use to balance the animation speed to not feel like slow motion with slow speed in the game, So I end playing the game at 50-60% speeds. Not a bad thing. Some games use to be designed to feel too fast by default. An example can be Red Alert 2 or Tiberian Sun.
I am not interested too much in the e-sports/competitive part of those games.

In other games like Stellaris, Europa Universalis or Distant worlds I use to play them at the slowest speed available. I prefer slow development times, slow movement, slow and epic sense of scale and slow flow of time. There is a lot to do in the games meanwhie, like spend an hour micromanaging and tweaking things. For me the sense of the game is playing it, not to be obsessed in finish it or win in ten minutes. Obviously I mean when playind against the computer.

About something similar to Starcraft but turn based I can think in games like Fallen Haven or The last title in Battle Isle series. Or instead of Turn Based any good RTS game that lets you pausable real time in the sense of Baldur¡s Gate.

I can't recommend a 4X strategy? Well I'm going to anyway ;)

Gladius is phenomenal, and it might qualify for you seeing as how the battleground tactics forms a major part (predominant even) of the gameplay. Double so if you're a 40k fan. I'm not sure if I should admit this, but I checked out a cracked (or repacked) version first, in order to see how well it performs on my system. Then, almost as soon as I confirmed that it runs very well (in fact it runs like a dream) I bought the game and all of its DLCs because of how much I enjoyed it.
The only real criticism I have is that there is no campaign (so you play skirmishes essentially), and that there are definitely too many DLCs (to be frank, I'm afraid I have to say their approach to DLC simply sucks). So I would suggest waiting for a sale to check it out, which incidentally it is on atm.

How about taking a look at some of the warhammer titles present in store, which you could have found yourself if you would have taken the trouble with searching for tbs games yourself

Warhammer Armageddon
Sanctus Reach
Gladius

or

BattleTech

Ancient Frontier

Though you do seem to be more of a type that enjoys the fire emblem style so you could also go with

WarGroove or Star Renegades....

So there you have it

Massive Assault ....

question got me thinking.. in spite of myself, feelings ....

real time strategy ....

turn based strategy // grand strategy, 4x

see where i'm going with that line of thinking ;p

Battle of Volvos might interest you too though lets face it, i guess what you are looking for is a light 4x title and those are already named ..... AOW Planetfall or Gladius should suit you. Civilization beyond Earth probably goes to deep for your liking as will a game such as Shadow Empire. I belief Massive Assault comes pretty close to battleworld kronos

I recommend you take a look at the Warhammer 40K universe. I have read more than once that the human faction in Starcraft is basically a straight ripoff of the human marines from Warhammer. And most of their games on Gog are turn-based.

Unfortunately I can't narrow my recommendation down to a specific game. When it comes to game preferences our tastes are almost diametrically opposed so I have nearly zero hands-on experience with Warhhammer exactly because their games are turn-based and I like real-time more.

Well, you didn't mention genre or setting, so how about some Wesnoth in here?

Actually I explicitly mentioned similiar setting :D No offense, but how you got to that from StarCraft is beyond me :D This is probably the best looking of all the ones mentioned here, even though it does look a bit heavier on certain aspects than I'd like. No story campaign? Sorry, that's pretty much a deal breaker for me. Also, while I do realise that StarCraft is basically a 40k rip-off in many ways, I'm not a fan of 40k. StarCraft manages to not fall into that ridiculously grimdark edgelord mood and aesthetic that 40k usually goes for, and which I barely tolerate most times.

Somehow I missed the "same mood and setting" part and just though you want a slow paced RTS.
The fact that I was playing it did not help...

Oh well, better put my reading glasses on.

It is actually pretty amazing how you've managed to expose this shortcoming in availability. I wish i could remember that other game which aligns more or less with your set of parameters but sadly, even with me not liking your forum personality i did try and search for the title, I actually thought it was flying under the paradox or ubisoft banner but had no luck finding it. It was a fast paced turn based title with point limit system meaning you had a pointpool from which you could make several actions per round with different units or use those points for building etc. The fantasy genre offers more variety with games such as Fallen Enchantress or Warlock Master of the Arcane other options might be to really turn to space with games such as Pax Nova .. or go semi real time, pausable real time... with a game such as Star Drive or even Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion

Hmmm i remember seeing a warhammer chess games when TB was still alive. Something like that could be employed.

That or Masters of Orion; managing large fleet movements, and then more intricate battles and configurations and then letting it run a simulation of how it would play out afterwards, which may be closer to actual military strategy where feedback may take minutes or hours, or maybe it would be more akin to risk...