There are several problems with this and I think that’s why in AOE-4 they decided to go back in the timeline instead of forward. A more modern age in my opinion would be incompatible with the saga. Why?:
Goodbye melee attacks. These would no longer make sense.
Goodbye to cavalry and the role of animals in war. I think people like this.
The villagers would be replaced by industrial machinery. It wouldn’t make sense for a worker to pick berries next to a nuclear missile or an aircraft carrier. I have been told that there are games like this, but I think that in AOE it would be better if it were not so meme.
Everything would be too industrial, and the resources would be others. Goodbye to wood for example.
Formations and attack modes lose relevance. This would lead to giving all units abilities like in StarCraft.
What I think is that the next AOE should be based on the mechanics of AOE-3, such as native allies and the standard creation of units in batches of 5 (At least).
I think they should rescue more mechanics from AOE-3 and AOM like. And make the maps more vigorous and full of life like AOE-3 does, but much better.