head to head
vs
Rome: Total WarvsStronghold HD
Rome: Total War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Stronghold HD leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Rome: Total WarStronghold HD
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 3
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads2 vs 3
Stronghold HD leans harder on reads: Multiplayer sieges reward predicting human attack angles
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.