head to head
vs
Medieval II: Total WarvsStarDrive
Medieval II: Total War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); StarDrive leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Medieval II: Total WarStarDrive
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads1 vs 2
StarDrive leans harder on reads: AI empires follow fixed strategies, not adaptation
Variance3 vs 2
Medieval II: Total War leans harder on variance: fog of war and event triggers hide some state
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.