I always think its funny when people say MTW is better then RTW, when vanilla MTW is as easy/easier then RTW. I mean I hadn't played STW before when I got MTW, by my third game(didn't finish the first two, just tested stuff) I was winning easily on expert. The mass peasant/spearmen/archer armies of the AI were a joke, and easily overrun by yours. You could also easily setup a trade network and make much more then larger AI nations.

It wasn't until VI and some of the better mods that the game even got moderately difficult. (Thank you MedMod) The only main difference would be how the AI handles sieging(something it didn't do that well in MTW either, but it happens more often in RTW). And of course the suicidal generals, who die like flies compared to the jedi generals MTW produced. But anyway, just my gripe. If you want something to keep you occupied till the patch comes out, get RTR 5.1. I'd say its the best mod out for RTW right now, and can keep your game interesting/difficult.