You should definitely give up spouting vitriol and try relaxing a bit. I don't think I'm playing chess - it just feels fun, as if I'm playing chess.
Obviously the game makes more sense if the ranged units could only fire point blank. But the capability of artillery to hit from far away, and for archers to focus down a unit, for cavalry to sweep in dramatically, this gives the map more intrigue, as if it's a tactical map, even when the map is strictly strategic.
In other words, the way combat is since Civ5 and onwards is structured to benefit good positioning, tactical maneuvering and the strategy lies in the armies as a whole.
Plus there is a visual aspect. Large armies look large because they fill large areas of the map. Whereas stacked armies don't fully show how big an army is just from looking alone.