Also that comparasin picture is using an alpha/beta version of the original AoE. The HP bars were always horizontal, never vertical as shown, and the base of the wonder up on the hill is different to what it really should be. Also, the attack, armour and range values had icons next to them. Finally, the X (cancel button) down the bottom-centre is different to how it is in all release versions of AoE, the one in the picture looks like it was spray-painted on, while in the official game it was always block-like and slightly 3D looking, and symetrical.
Trust me, I've played 1.0, and I own 1.0c + RoR (still play it every now and again for the nostalgia).
Also, Scipii, ES was never very historicly accurate, and really didn't like putting in the Asian civs IMO (and backed by a lot of evidence). You cannot expect this game with unrealistic/styalised graphics to be true to history.
EDIT: Or maybe it is 1.0b I own, I can't remember, but I know it is the lattest version. I actually have two copies, one installs as 1.0, the other came with the lattest patch + RoR + AoK + AoK Expansion (I hated AoE2, because I went straight from the original AoE to AoE3, so going back to two, with its graphics midway, was just wierd for me, I never even bothered installing the Conquorers or whatever the expansion was called).
[This message has been edited by anterior2 (edited 09-05-2010 @ 01:50 AM).]