I'm not saying the game needs fewer resources, but it does need a simplified single mine-able resource from the ground which can then be refined into the other required resources and the more advanced the resource, the more advanced a refinery building needs to be to create.

call the base material "mass"
mass fed into--> level 1 refinery--->creates:
-iron
-copper
-silicon
-carbon
-sulfur
and these would be used to get most bases up and running

level 2 refinery would be created from refined resources and manufactured materials created from the level 1 resources

level 2 refinery would produce advanced raw materials from mass such as uranium or titanium
that would allow the creation of advanced buildings and units.

I think it would be a system that would get battles underway much faster.