head to head
vs
Final Fantasy XVvsPopulous: The Beginning
Final Fantasy XV leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); Populous: The Beginning leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Final Fantasy XVPopulous: The Beginning
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 4
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads1 vs 2
Populous: The Beginning leans harder on reads: Multiplayer shaman duels involve some opponent prediction.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization6 vs 7
Populous: The Beginning leans harder on optimization: Mana ramp, building order and spell economy are solvable.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.