Playing through my latest game I started to wonder if perhaps the AI could perform better if it could spend more time building troops and not rebuilding (upgrading) so many buildings.  And I will admit I quickly get bored with clicking through build queues to see what needs upgrading.

I realize that city building is a big part of the game, but perhaps things like shards, crystal mines, farms etc could just ramp up production with the appropriate tech.  Certainly leave World Achievements and One per Faction Wonders in the game, but the mundane upgrading of mana output/iron/foodstuffs is fairly micro.

One idea would be to make a risk associated with upgrading Shards, perhaps your lust for MOAR POWER!   leads to a demonic rift spewing foul beasts or nuking your territory into a new Wildland.  Maybe you should be happy with the modicum of power the Gods have seen fit to grant you, or this makes outposts more valuable as you don't want to risk building a city too close to a Shard.  

Or the resource you need more of runs the risk of playing out, or there is a miners' strike.

These could be new random events as well, I suppose.  But what do you all think?