head to head
vs
Cossacks II: Napoleonic WarsvsGothic II
Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Gothic II leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Cossacks II: Napoleonic WarsGothic II
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 4
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads2 vs 0
Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars leans harder on reads: human opponents' strategy shifts somewhat predictable
Variance2 vs 3
Gothic II leans harder on variance: First-run surprises until the island is mapped
Optimization9 vs 8
Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars leans harder on optimization: economy, army composition, macro management
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.