head to head
vs
Sid Meier's Pirates!vsSolar 2
Sid Meier's Pirates! leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Solar 2 leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery).
Sid Meier's Pirates!Solar 2
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 4
Even - both lean on execution about the same.
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 3
Sid Meier's Pirates! leans harder on variance: Treasure locations, wind, and town states roll randomly
Optimization7 vs 6
Sid Meier's Pirates! leans harder on optimization: Trade routes, faction standing, and career planning dominate
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.