[Psitticine]

I can't tell you much about how they've changed (I haven't had time to play Dom I yet, but I'm a Dom II beta-tester) but I can definitely say mounted archers are very useful troops in Dom II. I'd have to check on their costs but I don't remember them being that expensive, for mounted troops at least, and they pack a heck of a punch as support troops for an infantry line or a few regular cavalry. Make for good skirmishers too, especially with the Fire And Flee command set for them.

I use the Velites and other javelin throwing units quite a bit when playing the appropriate nations. You can rapidly field a huge army of them, and those javelins hurt! They can't take much abuse but they are quick and cheap to replace.

You probably knew all that though . . . my point here, really, is just to say that I'm finding the costs and usefullness of these troops to be balanced in Dom II.