I'm probably imagining it, but it may be that the battlefield AI is a little better in the game. In my last battle with the Persians, the AI when attacking form up a line of battle out of range while waiting for its reinforcements and moving its archers forward to fire on my (frighteningly vulnerable) hypaspists. This is sensible AI behaviour as I lack archers and so have no counter other than attacking. I haven't noticed this behaviour before, but then I guess I always have adequate ranged missiles in other games.