head to head
vs
Napoleon: Total WarvsThe Settlers II: 10th Anniversary
Napoleon: Total War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); The Settlers II: 10th Anniversary leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Napoleon: Total WarThe Settlers II: 10th Anniversary
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 2
Napoleon: Total War leans harder on execution: Real-time battle micro under pressure
Reads3 vs 2
Napoleon: Total War leans harder on reads: Multiplayer battles involve feints; campaign AI is mappable
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.