head to head
vs
Smoke and SacrificevsStarbound
Smoke and Sacrifice leans Optimization (Practiced Mastery); Starbound leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Smoke and SacrificeStarbound
Axis by axis
Execution4 vs 3
Smoke and Sacrifice leans harder on execution: Real-time combat against wildlife needs moderate timing
Reads0 vs 0
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance4 vs 4
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization6 vs 7
Starbound leans harder on optimization: Gear tiers, farming, and progression routes 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.