head to head
vs
No Man's SkyvsX3: Terran Conflict
No Man's Sky leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); X3: Terran Conflict leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
No Man's SkyX3: Terran Conflict
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 3
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 2
No Man's Sky leans harder on variance: Procedural planets and loot
Optimization8 vs 10
X3: Terran Conflict leans harder on optimization: Trade-empire and factory-complex math is the entire game.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.