Differences between 3rd ed. timelines and 4th ed.

[ChalkLine]

What are the main differences between the 3rd edition and 4th edition timelines?

[mmartin798]

Environment
The end of the world timeline and reasons are different.

Character Creation
They changed he basic attributes. You can build a history and career path differently. The education/skills system is different. There is a concept of Degrees of Success and Degrees of Failure so you know how well an skill check succeeded which is kind of novel.

Combat
Other than the combat skills being slightly different, ranged combat is pretty much the same other than more combat modifier tables. Hand to hand combat is better defined. There are some issues with the simulation for things like E-Factor decline by range, explosive damage at a distance and such that has been discussed in other threads. The difference seems to be choosing simplicity over reality, though there are ways to get much closer without adding much complexity. Vehicular combat is pretty much the same. Both personnel and vehicle armor is handled a little differently. For example if a bullet does not penetrate flexible armor, like resistweave, it does no blood damage but still does structure damage. There are also rules for stacking armor, like PASGT vest over resistweave coveralls.

These are the major ones that jump right out to me, though I am sure you can find more if you look.


I miss read and see you want the timeline differences. In a nutshell, Bruce stopped the 3rd edition war by preventing the computer glitch. Later, a rogue asteroid is detected and will strike the earth. There is a scramble for resources by the world powers. There is an incident between warships and it erupts into a nuclear exchange. Later, the asteroid strikes the other Pacific Ocean.