head to head
vs
Dragon Age: OriginsvsMedieval: Total War
Dragon Age: Origins leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Medieval: Total War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Dragon Age: OriginsMedieval: Total War
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 3
Medieval: Total War leans harder on execution: Real-time battle control rewards quick unit handling
Reads1 vs 2
Medieval: Total War leans harder on reads: Multiplayer battles add human feints; campaign AI is scripted
Variance3 vs 3
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
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.