Civs that play differently

Mesoamerican civs are usually considered the most novel in the game, and in the way they are. The lack of Stables obviously sets them apart from all the others. Nonetheless, when I play the game and watchs the high-level tournaments, I get the feeling that Meso civs may not, after all, be the most different. I am not a particularly good player, so everything I say should be taken with a grain of salt, but let's see.

Meso civs lack cavalry, but in compensation, they are outsanding in other things. They have incredibly powerful eco bonuses, and excel in non-mounted units. Mayans, for example, have one of the best archers in the game, and Aztec monks are just insane. Even the lack of cavalry is not that big a deal, as Eagle Warriors are about as close to cavalry as one can be without mounting a horse. While the lack of Stables narrows early options and may be devastating in the lategame due to the lack of fast trash unit, it is quite common that civs with access to Stables do not field large numbers of cavalry anyway, as they have better options.

I'm not saying Eagles are indistinguishable from cavalry, but in many ways I get the feeling that Meso civs do not play out that differently from the others. They just have a somewhat limited tech tree, compensated by strong civ bonuses and unique units. Most civs do not have access to the Camel-line anyway, and Battle Elephants are sort of semi-unique, so there are comparable (although more limited) cases.

Then again, when I play as the Huns, Goths, and Turks, I get the feeling that I'm playing on an entirely different game mode. The said civs are shoehorned into specific playstyles that are clearly distinct from all the others. Merely the civs are not different; the game itself feels different with them. That is why I think Huns, Goths, and Turks may be, design-wise, the most successful civilizations in AoE2. (Followed by the Meso civs, of course.)

I don't know if anything I said makes sense, but I'd like to hear if anyone has entertained a similar train of thought.