The first thing to note is when you reach past the initial events there's a pretty significant four-year jump which is when everything really kicks into gear. During these crucial years, the safe zone in jackson becomes their base of operations, and ellie ages from 14 to 19 - this timing is super important since it affects her combat capabilities and decision-making throughout the upcoming events.

The settlement period gives players time to understand how the characters have developed, specifically watching for changes in ellie's behavior and skills that become critical later. When you're tracking the timeline, keep in mind that this four-year gap isn't just backstory filler, it sets up major story beats and character dynamics that influence how events play out especially during intense encounters and key narrative moments. Interesting detail - the relative peace in jackson during this period makes the contrast with later events much more impactful, so pay attention to those subtle character moments early on

Note how combat and stealth mechanics reflect ellie's growth from her younger self which really shows in the more complex encounters you'll face. The timing here matters since she's had years to develop these skills while living in jackson