Does anyone else miss the lack of diversity between the factions we saw in RTW?

The factions all seem to blend in. The Italian factions have little difference at all. In Rome each battle was so unique because every faction was different. You would have to worry about phalanxes, elephants, horse-archers, chariots, hordes of barbarians, heavy Roman infantry and weapony, ect.

But the same cannot be said for MT2TW. There are infantry factions and calvary factions. That's really it. No crazy/interesting units or tactics, just more of the same really. Militia spearmen, crossbow men, and calvary. Again and again.

Makes the game much less interesting to me. The Middle-East factions are so lacking in depth that I get bored quickly, while in RTW I couldn't stop playing the Selucids or Carthaginians.

Opinions? Is it just the result of history that all armies should sort of blend in with each other?