head to head
vs
Sid Meier's Civilization IIIvsSimCity 4
Sid Meier's Civilization III leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); SimCity 4 leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Sid Meier's Civilization IIISimCity 4
Axis by axis
Execution0 vs 1
SimCity 4 leans harder on execution: Point-and-click placement; zero reflex requirement
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 3
Sid Meier's Civilization III leans harder on variance: Random maps, resources and combat rolls matter early
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.