head to head
vs
Frontier: Elite IIvsSid Meier's Pirates!
Frontier: Elite II leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Sid Meier's Pirates! leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Frontier: Elite IISid Meier's Pirates!
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 4
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 4
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 7
Frontier: Elite II leans harder on optimization: Trade routes, missions, and ship upgrades form the solvable core
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.