GURPS Mass Combat Question

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Kromm

"Briefly" would be tricky . . .

They're two completely different systems whose only overlapping mechanic is a Quick Contest of Strategy (or Tactics), which takes different modifiers and produces different results in each edition.

I'd go one step further, and say that they both use troop strength via a relative troop strength plus a table for special troop type relative strength to modify that quick contest.

But Kromm is otherwise right: The numbers for Troop strength look very different, are calculated in different ways, and don't use the same base units. The systems spend their word count on very different things.

The 4th edition version is very much bigger and more polished, covering the full range of tech levels, a battle that progresses in steps with various tactics, a smoother presentation of its system, and a more refined system for logistics and pay.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by ericthered

I'd go one step further, and say that they both use troop strength via a relative troop strength plus a table for special troop type relative strength to modify that quick contest.

This is true. So perhaps where I said:

TOTALLY DIFFERENT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 COMPLETELY THE SAME

It's more like:

TOTALLY DIFFERENT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 COMPLETELY THE SAME

But it's the sort of "same" that, say, Third and Fourth Edition GURPS Psionics have: Yes, the powers have the same names and some things are still rated in levels, but the levels mean something totally different, the ranges and effects are vastly divergent, the skills work very differently, the point costs are nothing alike, . . .