head to head
vs
Star Wars: Empire at WarvsTotal Annihilation
Star Wars: Empire at War leans Optimization (Pure Optimization); Total Annihilation leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
Star Wars: Empire at WarTotal Annihilation
Axis by axis
Execution3 vs 5
Total Annihilation leans harder on execution: Constructor routing and unit grouping require consistent multitasking
Reads5 vs 6
Total Annihilation leans harder on reads: Opponent expansion patterns must be scouted and predicted
Variance2 vs 2
Even - both lean on variance about the same.
Optimization8 vs 9
Total Annihilation leans harder on optimization: Metal extractor priority and factory queuing are deeply optimizable
Two games can score the same on an axis and still test it in very different ways - read each rationale, not just the number.