While the battles themselves are not accurate recreations of those battles, the game isn't about creating authentic battles but about great game play. AOE II greatly improves the play experience by improving the user interface, especially unit movement. The game introduces automatic formations for your armies which nearly eliminates the need to micromanage the deployment of your forces. Myth and Myth II were the first games to employ unit formations but AOE II takes it a step further. The units as they enter their formations group themselves according to their strengths in melee combat.
Weaker units position themselves behind stronger units.
There are several formation types, all of them very useful. Anything which reduces all the micro management necessary in so many RTS games is most welcome to this reviewer. However, there are several things they could have done to make life a bit easier. Units could have been able to react better when left along in combat. Missile units would allow themselves to get into combat at melee where they are vulnerable.