Building comparison
head to head
Diplomacy is Not an OptionvsMedieval II: Total War
Neither is meaningfully harder - they pose close to the same test. The widest gap is execution, and it is a single point.
Diplomacy is Not an Option
Optimization · Pure Optimization
A wave-defense RTS testing economic and defensive optimization against scripted hordes.
Medieval II: Total War
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Grand strategy wargame mixing turn-based empire play with real-time battles.
Diplomacy is Not an Option leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Medieval II: Total War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Diplomacy is Not an OptionMedieval II: Total War
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 2
Diplomacy is Not an Option leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Diplomacy is Not an Option
Fast unit micro helps but isn't the ceiling
Medieval II: Total War
real-time battle micro is modest
Reads1 vs 1
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Diplomacy is Not an Option
Enemy hordes follow scripted waves, not adapting
Medieval II: Total War
campaign AI is exploitable and mappable
Variance2 vs 3
Medieval II: Total War leans a little harder on variance, though the gap is small.
Diplomacy is Not an Option
Some map and event variation, mostly fixed
Medieval II: Total War
fog of war and event triggers hide some state
Optimization9 vs 9
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Diplomacy is Not an Option
Economy, defenses and army composition against scaling waves
Medieval II: Total War
economy, unit counters, and campaign map strategy dominate
A matching score does not mean a matching test. Two games can both sit at 10 on execution and demand completely different things of you - which is why the reasoning above matters more than the number beside it.