Ok here's my thoughts.

Age I is full of botters, multi accounters, blah, blah. It was never intended as a game where farming is central, it just evolved that way. I don't think removing farming will improve the game in any shape or form. I don't have to like it but it wouldn't be Age I with out it either.

This new captcha thing being tested IMO a good thing. Reducing the bots will reduce multi accounting and so on. Don't get me wrong I hate captcha's, but if they improve the game for all then I'll grin and bear it. Just make sure they are solvable and don't pop up every 5mins lol.

As for Age II I've tried it and no it's not for me. That said they've got problems of their own with chronic account sharing preventing HC's ever being taken. I don't think it's a bad game it could do with improving in some areas. NA20+ are able to take player cities rather than just colonize them, so it isn't that much pacifist little brother.