head to head
vs
New Star ManagervsWasteland 3
New Star Manager leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Wasteland 3 leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
New Star ManagerWasteland 3
Axis by axis
Execution2 vs 2
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads2 vs 1
New Star Manager leans harder on reads: AI opponents follow systems, not adaptive mind-modelling
Variance5 vs 4
New Star Manager leans harder on variance: Match outcomes and events carry meaningful randomness
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.