head to head
vs
Shin Megami Tensei IVvsSid Meier's Civilization III
Shin Megami Tensei IV leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Sid Meier's Civilization III leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Shin Megami Tensei IVSid Meier's Civilization III
Axis by axis
Execution1 vs 0
Shin Megami Tensei IV leans harder on execution: Menu combat with no execution ceiling.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance5 vs 4
Shin Megami Tensei IV leans harder on variance: Smirk procs and negotiation RNG swing fights hard.
Optimization9 vs 9
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.