head to head
vs
Homeworld: Deserts of KharakvsStar Wars: Empire at War
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Star Wars: Empire at War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Homeworld: Deserts of KharakStar Wars: Empire at War
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 3
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak leans harder on execution: Dune-line positioning micro under fire
Reads4 vs 5
Star Wars: Empire at War leans harder on reads: Multiplayer galactic feints and fleet composition mind-games matter
Variance2 vs 2
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.