head to head
vs
Baldur's GatevsDragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
Baldur's Gate leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Baldur's GateDragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 1
Baldur's Gate leans harder on execution: Pause-and-play needs minimal dexterity.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance5 vs 5
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 9
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies leans harder on optimization: Vocation builds, alchemy, and grotto farming routes are solvable.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.