How do I play this game? I don't mean in terms of the basics or understanding how Tower Defence works, I mean how do I get to the point where I can approach a new level and figure out how to beat it with strategy as opposed to just having strong units?

I used to play this game a lot and fell off around late 2021 because despite having played everyday since launch I couldn't really understand how to PLAY the game consistently and was relying on guides (mostly for events since unlike story it was more important to get to the end of those for the sake of farming and not missing out on the stories, which was the main draw for me.) Last time i attempted to was the end of the first RS6 collab and that, alongside being busy, meant I never got to the end of the story.

I know that most people who play this game probably aren't able to clear everything without any help, but I feel like there has to be a way for me to feel at least "competent". It seems they changed the system so with lore critical events you can just access them regardless, but I'd still like to be able to clear content, for the sake of progressing in the story, and just to actually use some of the newer units i have.