head to head
vs
Rise of Nations: Extended EditionvsThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Rise of Nations: Extended Edition leans Optimization (Grand Arena); The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth leans Optimization (Mind & Math).
Rise of Nations: Extended EditionThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Axis by axis
Execution6 vs 5
Rise of Nations: Extended Edition leans harder on execution: Multitasking economy and armies in real time strains APM
Reads6 vs 6
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance3 vs 3
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 7
Rise of Nations: Extended Edition leans harder on optimization: Age timing, economy ratios and counters are deeply solvable
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.