I suppose the answers can be relevant to what a players want/needs are. More broadly speaking what are the advantages/disadvantages to either sitting in any age or, if able, rushing through them. I know I rushed through the game relatively speaking and at the same time I also left behind the Story questline. This later caused some issues when I got to OF because many of the quests contain the requirement "from your age", this in turn slowed me down because it was more difficult fulfilling those than had I stayed in past ages a bit and moving the story questline along in conjunction but in the end I managed through fine and nearly done now.
Maybe a list of what can be gained or lost could reveal some things and you can choose what's important to you.
Sitting in an age
1) Allows time to build up military GB's for the next age to make fighting in GE, GvG, PvP and Continent Map easier
2) Trades perhaps of the players given age may go faster since all of your neighbors most of the time will be in your age as well.
3) Also if one wants blueprints for a GB of a given age they'll have potentially 80 players to Aid/Plunder for those prints
4) Fighting in GE is easier than the next age
5) Winning stuff in GE from that age you may want for later
6) Winning stuff in quests, Events, and soon Daily Challenges you may want for later
7) Treasury goods GB's of a given age may be of more utility than another
8) What your Goods GB's produce may be of more utility for you than what they will produce the next age
Rushing through an age or all ages
1) Can expand city much faster allowing for more stuff to be built
2) Able to play in more GvG provinces
3) Buildings are generally more powerful in regards to their productivity
4) Can produce more type goods
5) Able to play in more battle point Towers
6) OF/Blacksmith Recurring Quests are great
I don't know, I'm sure one can think of more for each category but that get's ya something more to think about.