Hum.
I sort of agree with your #1 point at least from a power level aspect they should both be compairable.
I'm assuming the orgional design was that Assassians are just a single powerful character while Generals are a slightly less powerfull character but also have minions that they control?
Why do you want to pull them closer? Assasians I think are easier for most people to play (less things to control) and keeps the game more accessable (like Diablo). Is that the only reason?
You could go the other direction, improve the controls when playing a General to make it more minon based. When I play a general often times I feel like I'm fighting the controls a little bit. Either I don't have my general selected when I need/want or visa versa I have my minions selected but not my general (part of that is I just need to get better with the M, O and N keys). But that said, minion control does lackl many common RTS elements like:
1) Being able to hold down shift and queue up orders.
2) Being able to do attack move commands with minions (I.E. move here, but attack anything at that location or if you run into while heading to location X, fight and when finished keep heading to location X).
I hate in the current incaration that I have to tell all my minions to attack something specific. That works slightly better if the minions have ranged attack, but it's just not optimal if they're melee.
#2, That change would give players choice, if they wanted to control extra units or not... but because it is an added slot, it's less of a choice and more of a "if you have max gear choices, you should also purchase an Idol". If it was changed so that idols take up gear slots, then it would be more of a choice (and they could then be balanced in line with all the other EQ.
#5 and #6 I like a lot!
I mostly just want simple additions, UI, Controls, more Demigods, more gear, more maps. Save the big extra stuff for an expansion (assuming the main game does well) or DLC down the line.
-Jara