I'd like to say Ensemble is doing great work. What was great about aoc for me (I skipped aom due to heavy school requirements in that time period, its 2 late to join now) is that the strategy kept changing as people digged deeper. When the game came out nobody knew which civ was the best, or which strat, and it seems like several of the original assumptions were quite wrong. The strategy could be digged deeper and deeper, which was great.
That being said it's fun to be able to manipulate something. People love to build, it's in our nature to admire the beaver's dam or for kids to love bob the builder.
So that being said, if anyone from ES is reading this, I would recommend to continue on their formula. If they want changes they can have better integration of land and navy (most maps were one or the other unfortunately, the experts like arabia because water was unsophisticated), better navy period, perhaps special resources like in Civ3. Not being able to see enemies behind a hill.
Also, units should gain experience. Like 5% hitpoint for every kill. As such there would be value to monks/mages/medics as well as tactical retreating, which would create a strategic option counter to suicide missions. Overall just find ways to encourage healing.
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That being said I have just one request. I went back to Aoc and i noticed all my friends are gone! but few went to aom, ron, empire earth... many just dissapeared. It's in the company's interest to promote repeat sales rather than just replacing old customers with new ones (a static business model). Ask MFO and AOKH and whoever else for their email lists perhaps. Give away 25 copies of any game to known experts from different eras (from calymar to illusions to jose to lance etc etc etc) and tell everyone these 25 guys will be part of the community. Send 20 000 emails about these 25 and that should pull the trick, youll more than break even. Annoucnce there will be a tournament 6 months into the game (mini one, not the 50 grand one, perhaps a 5 grand one) to keep the people playing.