What alternative does the Euro side of Scythe better without being too dissimilar

I get a similar vibe playing Terra Mystica. Second similar is Archipelago. Granted, Scythe is lighter and more accessible.

What alternative does the Area Control side of Scythe better without being too dissimilar

In general, any well-regarded area-control game is better, as someone who loves playing this genre. I will bring Inis forward as a game that gets how to get a fun "passive" area-control. Clashes are difficult and expensive, but players are STILL incentivise to do it to win, this force them to be more thoughtful by using manoeuvring and politicking, rather than using brute force. Scythe got the same interesting philosophy, but it doesn't seem to work for me mechanically. It's a weird game where combat is, in general, considered a sub-par move.

But are there games that do all or many of the things Scythe does better?

The counter-point is that other games don't try to do all the things. A combination of 50% of this and 50% of that doesn't make a game complete - it's still 50%. But I think this game still has potential to be a great game, rather than just a good one. What I would love to see is to have a 2nd Edition where they fix the serious problem with imbalances and install catch-up mechanics or anything that counters the game's randomised asymmetric start.