yes for the basic units it's true, but look for example at a unit of heavy knigths, they look all different with all those different shields and armours, only if you look carefully you notice the same 4 - 5 men repeated.
i'd say the major flaw in this game is the I.A., especially with alliances / merchants / spies, you are allied with a faction and they do anything to engage war with you, i was allied with the bizantine, i had just 1 region bordering with them, and what did they do? instead of attacking that region (which would have been kinda reasonable) they sail and land near venice with 4 units of CAVALRY (to siege a city with large stone walls)... useless to say, i slaugthered them one by one but... that move didn't look that brilliant...
i'd say the major flaw in this game is the I.A., especially with alliances / merchants / spies, you are allied with a faction and they do anything to engage war with you, i was allied with the bizantine, i had just 1 region bordering with them, and what did they do? instead of attacking that region (which would have been kinda reasonable) they sail and land near venice with 4 units of CAVALRY (to siege a city with large stone walls)... useless to say, i slaugthered them one by one but... that move didn't look that brilliant...