Not to discourage any new answers and lord knows more can be written on the subject, but I wrote a little bit about tactics here which partly answers your question, and also another answer on technological innovations here.

In short, no, tactics were largely a product of and by extension limited by the available technology. Tactical innovations developed hand in hand with technological innovations, with the additional constraints of gearing up for mass production of these new technologies, as well as the discovery (often through trial and error), and promulgation of the new doctrines that allowed mass armies to leverage said technology.

Thus the 'common thinking' is somewhat detached from reality.