head to head
vs
Pirates! GoldvsSid Meier's Pirates!
Pirates! Gold leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Sid Meier's Pirates! leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Pirates! GoldSid Meier's Pirates!
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 4
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 4
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 7
Pirates! Gold leans harder on optimization: Trade routes, plunder targets, and career planning drive everything
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.