[FogCityUndercover]

I used to play Shadowrun from 1st edition through 3rd edition. Ran games, played games, had the books, made a deal with a dragon and lived to tell the tale over soycaf. All of that being said, it's been years since I engaged at all with the system and it has gone from Fasa to Fanpro to Catalyst (Or Topps or whoever) in that time. The old codger in me considers just sticking with the old school books I have but that makes it hard to put a group together when the books they buy will likely need to be printed in this century.

So now I am seriously considering getting the new books and stepping in but even there, I have a quandary. Once upon a time you bought the main book, and then the Street Samurai Companion, and the Grimoire and you covered 90% of what you needed. If you had a decker you would need the Matrix book and if you had a Rigger you needed Rigger 2.0 or whatever the current version was. But I can't tell what the current equivalents for those are, let alone which ones are for 4th edition and which are for 5th. Which brings me to my last question, it looks like there is a lot more content available for 4th edition. Is it worth going for that version instead of 5th?

Anyway, hope some of you can help an old runner turned UsquaredC out and point me in the right direction.

Thanks.

[Ragin Cajun]

I can give you a list of the main archtype Core books for both 4E and 5E
5th - Chrome Flesh (Augmentations and Drugs), Street Grimoire (Magic Book), Data Trails (Matrix Book), Run & Gun (Equipment and martial arts book), Run Faster (Quality and lifestyle book similar to 3rd's Shadowrun Companion), and Rigger 5.0 (for Riggers obviously), though a recent edition to these is Cutting Aces (a Face Core book) also Howling Shadows (Critter Book)
4th - Augmentation (all the Cyber and Bio), Arsenal (Guns, explosives, and Vehicles), Street Magic ( Magic...), Unwired (Matrix stuff, kinda complex IMO), and Runner Companion (Metavarients, Qualities and such) Also Running Wild (Critter Book)

Alot of these rulesets are similar in play with some specific differences between editions kinda like D&D 3.0 and 3.5. Seeing that 4th ed is already completely done, you might be able to pick up these books at used book stores on the cheap. 5th is the current edition so is supported by things like missions play and alot of online games, but as far as which one you should get I can't answer as I have the core books for 2nd through 5th ed. No matter how many editions they make I'm gonna buy them. I'm a lifer. Hope this helps.

[Iron Serpent Prince]

I'll put up the short answer to Ragin Cajun's more detailed one.

5e plays a LOT like 3e.  There are some difference in there, and they can be real head scratchers, but overall it will feel quite familiar to you.

4e is different enough that it might be more difficult for you to come to terms with.

They each have their pros, and their cons, and any one of the forum goers can give you their soap box monologue on which they prefer.

At the end of the day, 5e has many gaping holes in it still, and errata is (very understandably) slow to come out.  ((The errata team are working on their own time - unpaid - so the pace can be forgiven even if it isn't enjoyable.)

4e is more sound in it's state, but it has reached end of life so any wholes in it will certainly remain.

[Sphinx]

I've played every edition, first through fifth. In your position, coming back after a long absence, I'd go ahead and pick up the current edition (5E). The core rulebook is dense and detailed; you can play for awhile on just that one book. If it looks like the campaign will last, then expand your library according to the needs and interests of your players.

[Marcus]

I think there a lot to be said for 5th, I think you will find it be pretty different game from 3rd, and in many way a better balanced easier to play game. There have been a lot of quality of life/balance changes. But if you really liked 3rd I think continuing with 3rd could very logical. 4th is a very different game from both 3rd and 5th. It had a very different feeling to it then ether. I think you will find 5th to be reasonably less deadly then 3rd and often for the better.

[ShadowcatX]

I have never heard 5th edition called balanced before...

[FogCityUndercover]

I have never heard 5th edition called balanced before...

Well, Shadowrun has never really been well balanced. Better than many games but not a paragon of balance.

I remember in 1st edition you could have 2 Trolls with Street Sweepers standing 5 feet apart just emptying rounds into each other and doing nothing. And in second edition min maxing was fairly rampant with Trolls using Polearms with Dikote instead of guns and Street Sammies putting air burst mini grenades everywhere.

[Marcus]

I have never heard 5th edition called balanced before...

Careful ShadowcatX don't put words in my mouth. What I said it was 5th is better balanced and easier to play then 3rd, and I continue to think that's true. If you disagree and want to discuss it, i'm perfectly willing. But don't misquote me.