How Do Core and Accelerated Resolution Mechanics Differ?

Question

The differences between the two versions of the game are quite noticeable, and also spelled out in the conversion guide. Differences in various resolution mechanics seem subtler, and easier to overlook (I definitely overlooked them in the past and am likely overlooking others still). For example, Create Advantage seems to work slightly differently, and it's not something that stood out to me in the book; similarly, resolution of recovery isn't quite the same between the two either.

Thus I'm interested in knowing what are the differences in resolution mechanics as written between the Core and Accelerated. I'm talking specifically about mechanics used outside of character creation/advancement - mechanics used specifically during play, according to the letter of the rules in these two books (not houserules/rulings, not any additional supplements).

Necessary disclaimer: I know that in some technical ways Accelerated can be seen as a subset of Core, but I'm asking about the differences between the default implementation as written in Core (also at times referred to as Hearts of Steel) and Accelerated.

Answer 1

No differences were intended. The issue with Create Advantage is one of minor phrasing and largely a consequence of Accelerated being written semi-in-parallel to Core getting its final revisions at the same time. (I am the publisher.)

Answer 2

Fate Core and Fate Accelerated are not different games.

FAE is a build of Core. It is not a different ruleset. It's a condensation, with two or three different ways of presenting certain concepts.

[...] Lots of folks don't have the time to game that they used to, and FAE's going to look particularly shiny and sparkly to those folks. Myself included. This also means it'll catch a certain amount of fire for folks looking to make a convention slot happen with no or little prep.

[...] Core is going to come off as more robust, and probably a little (or a lot) better at handling a game with a lot of advancement that gets reflected in character sheet mechanics.

-- Fred Hicks, "Fate Core And Fate Accelerated Are Not Different Games"

Fate Core's longer-term focus comes out in a few choices:

• Recovering from consequences is a multi-stage process that in total takes about as much time as recovering from consequences in Accelerated. You take a harsher-sounding consequence and recover to a milder-sounding one in the same slot before you complete the process and clear it, while the consequence you take in Accelerated stays the same the whole way through.

• The extreme consequence, a.k.a. "I want to stay in this fight so bad it will change my character forever". Accelerated isn't built for that kind of arc.

• Advancement is technically uncapped in Core, as long as you save up your skill points for a major milestone. But the 18 significant milestones it would take a starting Core character to climb the ladder to +7 (3 above initial) would let an Accelerated character cap all but one of their approaches at +5 (2 above initial).

But nothing about these choices is inherent to some difference in the way Core and Accelerated function, because there isn't one. Recovery, available consequences, and advancement are all choices you should make to fit your game; Core starts by making different choices than Accelerated because it's taking a longer view.