CommandAndConstruct VS spring

Recoil (previously called Spring) - https://github.com/beyond-all-reason/spring

If you want to develop the engine https://github.com/beyond-all-reason/spring, checkout GitHub wiki of that repository which contains compile instructions with docker, without and for MSVC setup.

Many current BAR developers are old BA devs. Many old BA players are current BAR players. Then also the engine fork happened (Recoil) (https://github.com/beyond-all-reason/spring) for similar reason as above, and Recoil+BAR currently receive the most active development, with other Spring RTS games like Zero-K also migrating to Recoil.

All is about providing a correct start script for each player: https://github.com/beyond-all-reason/spring/blob/BAR105/doc/StartScriptFormat.txt

Yes, it's using continuously developed fork (https://github.com/beyond-all-reason/spring) of the Spring RTS engine.

Well, my personal preference is for Zero-K/Spring, because I actually like micro :

http://zero-k.info/

But BAR/Spring seems like it would fit you better (it's also the closest of them to TA, which is otherwise a bit old these days) :

https://www.beyondallreason.info/

(BAR used to stand for Balanced Annihilation Reloaded, while Zero-K used to be called Complete Annihilation.)

Still a number of active projects where the game (or variations of it) are being played. Check out Beyond All Reason