head to head
vs
Napoleon: Total WarvsShogun: Total War
Napoleon: Total War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Shogun: Total War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Napoleon: Total WarShogun: Total War
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 3
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads3 vs 2
Napoleon: Total War leans harder on reads: Multiplayer battles involve feints; campaign AI is mappable
Variance2 vs 3
Shogun: Total War leans harder on variance: Fog of war and agent rolls hide information
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.