Building comparison
head to head
Manor LordsvsMedieval II: Total War
Neither is harder. They score identically on all four axes, so the difference between them is in kind, not degree.
Manor Lords
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Medieval city-builder with light tactical battles; optimization first.
Medieval II: Total War
Optimization · Pure Optimization
Grand strategy wargame mixing turn-based empire play with real-time battles.
Manor Lords leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Medieval II: Total War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Manor LordsMedieval II: Total War
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Same score on execution - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Manor Lords
light battle micro
Medieval II: Total War
real-time battle micro is modest
Reads1 vs 1
Same score on reads - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Manor Lords
scripted bandit/AI raids
Medieval II: Total War
campaign AI is exploitable and mappable
Variance3 vs 3
Same score on variance - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Manor Lords
seasons, fertility, raids timing
Medieval II: Total War
fog of war and event triggers hide some state
Optimization9 vs 9
Same score on optimization - which means the number cannot separate them. The difference is in what each one asks of you.
Manor Lords
burgage plots and supply chains central
Medieval II: Total War
economy, unit counters, and campaign map strategy dominate
A matching score does not mean a matching test. Two games can both sit at 10 on execution and demand completely different things of you - which is why the reasoning above matters more than the number beside it.