This is looking pretty good. While I really like AoW2 Shadow Magic and AoW3 - I've always found them lacking when it comes to the strategic aspect - which is my favorite part of this kind of game. Well, it's probably tied with the RPG aspect, which is where AoW shines.
I like the addition of the tech tree very much - and that's certainly going to help the depth of strategy, but it remains to be seen if they can make city building sufficiently interesting.
But it's looking good.
I do fear, though, that battles will take too long. It's a concern for me, as I always play these in multiplayer if I can - and you don't want to auto-resolve key battles in such an environment.