head to head
vs
Hearts of Iron IVvsSongs of Conquest
Hearts of Iron IV leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Songs of Conquest leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Hearts of Iron IVSongs of Conquest
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads4 vs 3
Hearts of Iron IV leans harder on reads: PvP partly, mostly scripted AI
Variance3 vs 4
Songs of Conquest leans harder on variance: Resource tile placement and battle spell procs add variance
Optimization9 vs 9
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.