The Settlers of Catan 4th Edition Update: Incompatibilities

With the successful launch of the new edition of The Settlers of Catan,
we're been receiving a lot of feedback on the new edition. The overwhelming
majority of it has been positive, but there has been some confusion about
the differences between 3rd and 4th edition sets, and specifically the
ability to combine them together. SO, we have a new addition to our FAQ:

Q: Can I use my 3rd edition pieces with the 4th edition sets?

A: As has been stated, the tiles are the same size between the two editions, so
anything designed to work with 3rd edition tiles should continue to work
with 4th edition sets. However, because the new set comes with a frame for
the new board (replacing the water tiles), you will be unable to play Catan:
Seafarers using 4th Edition base and 3rd Edition Seafarers (4th edition
Seafarers includes only the water tiles necessary to add with the frame
pieces included).

The resource cards have the same backs as 3rd Edition, but the development
cards have changed backs. This means that you cannot mix the cards from 3rd
Edition 5-6 Player Extensions and 4th Edition base sets (and vice versa).