head to head
vs
Hearts of Iron IVvsStronghold 3
Hearts of Iron IV leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Stronghold 3 leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Hearts of Iron IVStronghold 3
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads4 vs 4
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 2
Hearts of Iron IV leans harder on variance: focus tree branches, events
Optimization9 vs 8
Hearts of Iron IV leans harder on optimization: division templates and production solved
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.