head to head
vs
Empire: Total WarvsStronghold 3
Empire: Total War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Stronghold 3 leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Empire: Total WarStronghold 3
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads3 vs 4
Stronghold 3 leans harder on reads: human opponents bluff sieges and timing
Variance3 vs 2
Empire: Total War leans harder on variance: Campaign AI and battle dice noise
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.