head to head
vs
Rome: Total WarvsS.W.I.N.E.
Rome: Total War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); S.W.I.N.E. leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Rome: Total WarS.W.I.N.E.
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 3
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads2 vs 2
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 7
Rome: Total War leans harder on optimization: Campaign economy, recruitment, and battle tactics are 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.