Real-Time Strategy RTS Help

[psychic1]

Looking for advice from some veteran RTS gamers because I'm ashamed to say that I've never beat an RTS before.

The problem I have isn't beating a map and while I don't like how long it usually takes to do so(3+ hours) that isn't the problem either. The problem that I come into that turns me away from completing every RTS game i've ever played is knowing for a fact that on the next map I will lose at least twice and waste a couple hours in doing so.
The reason I always lose the first couple times is because the map is always blacked out so I don't know who the enemy is, where the enemy is, where the resources are and sometimes I don't even know who I am either because the game continuously forces you to use different factions so coming up with a strategy to win under these conditions the first time is all but impossible.
So I always come to a point in an RTS where I beat a map, look at the monotonous exploring bullcrap I'll have to go through again on the next map for the 100th time and I just say fuck that and quit.

I would really love to finally beat games like Starcraft and Age of Empires so any advice that you guys can give me will be very much appreciated.

If you've completed more than half of the games listed below, then I want to hear from you in particular.

Company of Heroes
Command and Conquer
Warcraft
Starcraft
Rise of Nations
Age of Empires/Mythology
Rome: Total War
Myth
Homeworld
Total Annihilation

[boatofcar]

Trial and error is an essential part of RTS games. Of course, most of those games have strategy guides that contain maps of the various stages of a particular campaign.

[Nukie]

Having played all of those titles, and beaten most of them, I can say that every game has a strategy that works for most of the game. Whether it is the zerg rush in starcraft, to the getting to the second age as fast as possible (AoE). My advice would be to find what is really useful and stick to that. For the most part it will help to all but the last few levels, where that plus some top tier will usually win the match.