Age of Empires in the future is not something I would buy. There are plenty Sci-Fi strategies that cover up for that, every single one better thenanything AoE could pull off.
They also pretty much had their 'fantasy spin-off' with Age of Mythology. A more 'Tolkien based' fantasy RTS might work, but it won't be different from AoM in it's essence. And this is also a filled niche.
To be clear: The thing that influences a strategy game most is it's setting. If you want to make an RTS, first thing to come up with is a setting. AoE has allready filled the fantasy age, classic age, dark age, and rennaisanse (or whatever it's spelled). Going further into the future would not be a good idea, as it has to step into the allready filled niche of the modern age and sci-fi RTS. There is little need for AoE in the world of Starcraft and, well, ANY RTS that takes pace in this age.
The best thing to do would be either remake on of the older settings (No one will complain to see an updated AoE2), or to go further back in time.
Before the Classical age, there were few interesting civilizations. Most likely, we will have to look for one at the asian side of the world. Or the native american side.
OR create a nice 'What if' setting. To create a fictional world, where the great civilizations were not divided by geographical or time-line mountains. What would happen if the Romans had to fend of the Samurai and Ninja? What if the Chinese had to deal with native Americans? Where somehow, apart from the Romans, a Dark-age like European civilization develloped. Arabians arguing with Inuit? Perhaps not a fine idea to combine with the very realistic game of AoE, but interesting nonetheless.
I vote for the last option. That is, if they should make a sequel at all. AoE is a franchise that pulled of every conventional trick in the box. A remake, using todays technology and skills would work, but they would have to do some major twisting if they made another sequel.
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