Co-Op campaigns are one of the things we'll have.
One thing to remember is that this design is being made for the long-haul. So we envision settings where a group of friends could play together against the Fallen on maps so large and so many techs and spells that it would take months of weekend get togethers to finish if they want (or they coudl play a smaller map and be done in an afternoon).
I know only 3 semi-successful MP TBS - Civilization 4, The Battle for Wesnoth and Massive Assault Network 2. Civ4 is being played competitively with a turn timer, sudden death (2 cities lost) and ~120 turn limit - about 3 hours per game, 5 hours maximum. Wesnoth games are relatively fast anyway, it's a hex wargame with a relatively small number of units. So, the only game that can't be finished in one session is MAN2, hex wargame with a lot of units. However, MAN2 generally can be finished in no more than about 30 turns so players may make one turn at a time (server stores game state for other player), that way it will take no more than 1-2 months to finish one game.
So, Elemental MP game can't be finished in one session and it can't be completed in a small number of turns so it's not a true internet game, it probably targets a play-by-email audience and maybe games between friends. I'm not interested in that MP 
All that talk about Impulse support, but what is it for if it's effectively not playable? There is enough trouble playing one-session Civ 4 games - non-ladder games are almost never being finished. Multi-session games with random people will not work at all, period.
Also, if devs absolutely can't reduce micromanagement so to make it internet-playable, then IMHO it's a sign of a bad game design - game is too bloated. I prefer games with a meaningful strategic decisions instead of too much meaningless micro. Well, i'll buy it anyway but it's a disappointment
