I would say I'm in agreement with you about nothing making the game stand out, at least at this point and time. To be fair, this dev team listens and reacts to player suggestions and they are still doing so. Also, we still don't have all of the basic game systems in place to make any real judgement. With that being said, I fear they might be focusing on the wrong things that would make the game fun, while setting it apart from other TBS games.
I'm leaning toward the belief that the devs are more interested in giving us the tools to make a fun game instead of making a fun game themselves. Now that may sound harsh, but I don't mean it that way. After all, it is a new trend that has already worked well for games like LittleBigPlanet and a few MMO-type games. I almost think I would prefer it for Elemental at this point as it seems items like city building are getting too much of the focus and I think the time could be better spent on other things. I'll continue to suggest my own ideas and if they don't find a way in, at least we have the modding to fall back on. It's a no-lose situation and Stardock is too great of a company not to support.
(My 100 words start now) 
(Less of a 'how to make it more fun' and more of a 'I would like Elemental to include......')
Basic city building in a variety of sizes (villages, towns, cities) and on different terrain (tactics)
Landscapes that are more alive animals/monsters, weather, random events/effects
Quests that are less simple/more challenging, short and long and that get you 'involved'
Events that affect your Sovereign, your citizens and the World
Tactical Combat!! Spells, weapons, terrain, weather/environments, diplomacy, shortages/supply lines
Research that makes each game something new and each Sovereign something special.
Give me something to do on EVERY turn and I don't mean huts and gardens!
