I look at it like this:
a) Inno wants to slow players down because it's a LOT of work coming up with the ideas and the programming for new ages. Each one is more and more fantasy-driven given that they've run well past reality at this point. There's lots of artwork to be created, bugs to be worked out (in theory), and all the time the developers are working on other issues that still need attention (and new additions that no one really asked for or that aren't really necessary). So, they wanna slow people down to give themselves breathing room AND to push back the brick wall of boredom at the end of the tech tree that people eventually run into before new content is released.
b) Inno wants to keep the campers at least somewhat happy compared to the more traditional non-campers because they've discovered it to be a significant playerbase. Probably more to the point, campers also pay real money to play (and there are many towns that are easy evidence of this). Forcing a player who doesn't wish to age up to do so is not necessarily conducive to making a happy player. In theory, happy players keep playing... and paying. They have given in to the fact that there are many players who wish to take THEIR time and not move at the pace that Inno devises for them.
That's at least what I believe to be the impetus behind the changes you've described.
Those are actually really valid points. There is a lot of development that goes into all of the new features and no doubt, It takes less time to play through it all than it does to devise build and implement. So in order to keep the masses from pressing against that wall forever, offering a means to delay progress is definitely viable for the business. And a happy player, that remains engaged and interested will be more profitable regardless of age progression, over a dissatisfied player that moved up in tech.
I do think there should be more of an incentive to move up. It shouldn't necessarily punish a camper for staying in lower ages. But players that do push farther do deserve something rewarding for their efforts.
Early on in EMA we had a whole side challenge on the Cmap fighting the barbarians and winning the monestary. But there hasn't really been anything like that since. No special side quest leading us against an actually challenging map enemy to give up a one time special reward.
I think there should be a special one-off reward for each age, more valuable than monestary, but similar in concept. And only accessible by completing a story quest / bonus line that would include completing an age or some kind of advancement. ( this borders on a different proposal idea I plan on making for use of the still cloudy map bits)
The best thing about being at the end of tech and the map are the auto completed event quests. Which do make some events significantly easier, but even those prizes have debatable value depending on the player.
The added challenge of the harbor goods in arctic and oceanic is a huge added cost with no added reward. And while I really like it in concept, as a slow down and regulator for tech progress, as well as a great lead in for a much larger future age making use of 5 harbor goods, and I want to see more things that actually make it challenging to advance other than a clock. It needs a counterbalance for payoff.
GE is tons of fun but after a couple years, by now most of us have all the Tfarms and sky watches we will ever need, they have no real increased value or ability. Which is fair in one sense, but given the incredible increase to demand of resources for these ages, it becomes a burden.
I love being in the higher ages. even in my other cities, if it's a city I plan on doing anything more than well collections in, I'm planning on getting to the end. I do want to do a speed run city and see how quickly one could make it to the end at some point. I guess I never found an age I wanted to camp in. Maybe that was due to varying strategies and a lack of certain abilities back in those ages but I think it's personally more of a feeling of stagnation. Which is why I like the new chapters, one has relatively little time for things to wear out before at least a few new things get brought in to play with.