head to head
vs
Rome: Total WarvsThe Settlers: Fourth Edition
Rome: Total War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); The Settlers: Fourth Edition leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Rome: Total WarThe Settlers: Fourth Edition
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 3
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads2 vs 3
The Settlers: Fourth Edition leans harder on reads: Human opponents in multiplayer add mild positional bluffing
Variance2 vs 3
The Settlers: Fourth Edition leans harder on variance: Map resources are scripted-but-unknown until scouted
Optimization8 vs 8
Even - both lean on optimization about the same.
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.