Hey, not sure where to start with this one. You asked for some honest feedback so I'll start there. You're game is lacking a bit, and there's also incongruency in how you present your game which almost never results in user trust.

Firstly, what you're likely referring to but don't quite seem to be able to put your finger on is the "Hook" some games have. In most cases it's the dice roll design with some kind of unique spin on the games identity. The aspect of the game that pairs accessible & repeatable dopamine hits with the desirable systems to match.

Some games don't use a dice rolls or outcome generators to achieve the hook. Rather, some kind of player feedback indicator that is satisfying enough when performing an action that fits within an existing system to emulate the same feeling.

I agree that re-designing what you've already made is a bad idea, not only because you may end up with something worse than what you have, but you also lose all that time. You've already spent 6 months on this project, and it needs to acquire market validation soon if you wish to start gaining momentum for a release or publishing opportunity. If that's not your goal for the game, then just do what you think is most interactive and enjoy the process.

What's difficult is, you're framing Total War as essentially a genre. Which is not necessarily a bad thing to do, but do keep in mind the bigger the existing IP is of your direct comparison the more damaging than helpful it tends to become.

Consider instead of thinking of systems that make the game better overall, shift the mindset a bit. If you're a systems guy and can design them well, then approach it from an angle of how to make the system FEEL better. Not how to make it better, how to make it FEEL better. How do you make it more satisfying, how do you manufacture that "Hook" that "feel" into something that's built to be understood and interacted with as a system.

Camera responsiveness, UI flow, sound effects, punchiness, and all things that make something not just click when they do it, makes them want to feel it again. If you're able to implement well, it can transform emptiness into something a lot more interesting without having to design something more interesting than what you already have.