[Edi]

Yes, KO is still very much involved. Some of the new graphics he has made for CoE3 are absolutely awesome. For example, I have NEVER seen as good a rendition of a gryphon as the new CoE3 graphic is.

As far as combat orders etc are concerned, there is no Dom3 style micromanagement. You cannot arrange troops in your army, the arrangement is automatic.

Mages cannot be scripted the same way as Dom3, but you can choose what spells they memorize from among the ones they know. From those spells, a random useful one will be cast every round. If no useful spell exists, the caster will do nothing (e.g. a pyromancer who knows the spells Flames, Fire Burst, Fireball and Incinerate and is going up against a fire elemental, which is fire immune, would cast nothing at all).

If your units don't match up favorably against an enemy, your magic can often function as an equalizer and the more types of mages or other spellcasters you have, the more chances you have.

The CoE3 manual has a fairly detailed section on combat, short though it is.