head to head
vs
StarCraftvsTotal Annihilation
StarCraft leans Optimization (Grand Arena); Total Annihilation leans Optimization (Pure Optimization).
StarCraftTotal Annihilation
Axis by axis
Execution7 vs 5
StarCraft leans harder on execution: APM and micro control ceiling is huge
Reads6 vs 6
Even - both lean on reads about the same.
Variance1 vs 2
Total Annihilation leans harder on variance: Map metal spots are fixed; very little RNG in unit behavior
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.