head to head
vs
Fire Emblem FatesvsProject Zomboid
Fire Emblem Fates leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Project Zomboid leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Fire Emblem FatesProject Zomboid
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 3
Project Zomboid leans harder on execution: Combat is deliberate; precision matters but is slow.
Reads1 vs 0
Fire Emblem Fates leans harder on reads: AI follows scripted attack priorities, not player modeling
Variance5 vs 5
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.