Well, version 2 is definitely better than the original, but I was shocked to realize that some basic issues were untouched between the two. While AoE II is more polished and a few of the annoyances worked out, there is a sharp lack of diversity between the French, English and Scottish armies and buildings. The eastern races have a slight breathe of fresh air in that they at least look a little different. While extremely minor, I did not like how the menu graphics have such poor quality. And the music....
On the good side, I like the improvements made to the game system. Primitive waypoints are introduced, and selecting large groups of armies is a huge advantage. Pulling in the Egyptian architecture and units was a nice touch. And the upper-tech units add some nice variety, with distinct styles of play and unique weaknesses/strengths.
