head to head
vs
DCS WorldvsTotal War: Shogun 2
DCS World leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); Total War: Shogun 2 leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
DCS WorldTotal War: Shogun 2
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 6
DCS World leans harder on execution: Precise stick-and-throttle handling and BFM have a high ceiling.
Reads4 vs 3
DCS World leans harder on reads: Multiplayer dogfights against humans reward genuine prediction.
Variance3 vs 4
Total War: Shogun 2 leans harder on variance: Metsuke agent skill rolls and random farm yields add moderate unknowns
Optimization8 vs 8
Even - both lean on optimization about the same.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.