Army stranded in enemy territory due to low readiness

[ajarnlance]

Is this historically accurate? I can't retreat from enemy territory due to low readiness. The AI keeps attacking/ pursuing before my readiness has a chance to recover. Thus I am helpless to do anything. Historically Armies could retreat, sometimes in panick, but they could still move away from the enemy and back to the safety of their own territory.

I think a better mechanic would be to allow armies to retreat all the way back to their own territory (not the short distance currently in game) after losing a battle. Of course retreating armies should experienced increased attrition/ mortality and low morale. Retreating armies should also have the offensive stance grayed out. The key is that the player should still be able to MOVE the army out of enemy territory. In the CW most battles finished with both sides so wrecked that any meaningful pursuit was usually impossible. Thus defeated armies were able to slip away back to safety.

This is currently not possible in the game.

[Captain Müller (KGF)]

You should actually be able to retreat/move into own states. Do you see the path into own terrain but speed is too slow?

[balrog2sdu]

There's also a number of other subtle things here to consider:

• Armies recovery readiness faster in their own territory. So, if you're in enemy territory, the AI armies would recover faster than you
  
• The AI gets bonuses to readiness depending on difficulty level. What difficulty level did you set this campaign to?
  
• Armies recover readiness faster if they are properly supplied. The AI army being in its own territory likely has a better supply than you.
  
• Armies recover readiness faster if their morale is higher. Being in your own territory makes your morale rise faster. Thus, the AI army would have higher morale and therefore higher increase of readiness

I'm not saying all these things are happening in your campaign. I'm just saying these are things to consider to explain what could be happening.

Also, you can always right-click somewhere in your own territory and move no matter what your morale/supply/readiness situation is. A good example is the Missouri State Guard for the CSA side in Spring 1861 campaigns. You can start moving that army on day one as long as you right-click somewhere in CSA territory.

Lastly, you can always transfer an army to another one. The one downside being that you would lose that army's XP that you've acquired. If it has any.

Hope this helps,

[ajarnlance]

Originally posted by Captain Müller (KGF):

You should actually be able to retreat/move into own states. Do you see the path into own terrain but speed is too slow?

I am on "low readiness" and when I try to back into friendly territory I get the "can't move due to low readiness" message. Seems like this should be looked into. Even battered units should be able to limp back home... no doubt while shedding deserters all over the place.

[ajarnlance]

Originally posted by bradfield.jason:

There's also a number of other subtle things here to consider:

• Armies recovery readiness faster in their own territory. So, if you're in enemy territory, the AI armies would recover faster than you
  
• The AI gets bonuses to readiness depending on difficulty level. What difficulty level did you set this campaign to?
  
• Armies recover readiness faster if they are properly supplied. The AI army being in its own territory likely has a better supply than you.
  
• Armies recover readiness faster if their morale is higher. Being in your own territory makes your morale rise faster. Thus, the AI army would have higher morale and therefore higher increase of readiness

I'm not saying all these things are happening in your campaign. I'm just saying these are things to consider to explain what could be happening.

Also, you can always right-click somewhere in your own territory and move no matter what your morale/supply/readiness situation is. A good example is the Missouri State Guard for the CSA side in Spring 1861 campaigns. You can start moving that army on day one as long as you right-click somewhere in CSA territory.

Lastly, you can always transfer an army to another one. The one downside being that you would lose that army's XP that you've acquired. If it has any.

Hope this helps,

Thanks for the tip. I'll try right clicking into friendly territory.. I could swear I already tried this and got the "can't move due to low readiness" error message.

I don't dispute that the enemy army should receive higher readiness for the reasons you outlined. That makes sense. What doesn't make sense is being forced to sit like a bug on a windshield while you get continually whacked. Hopefully I can get moving somehow...
If it doesn't work I will consider your last option of transferring the units to another army. That sounds like a decent last resort and it could model an army disintegrating but many of its components becoming incorporated into other armies later on... that must have happened at times historically speaking...

[ajarnlance]

Originally posted by bradfield.jason:

There's also a number of other subtle things here to consider:

• Armies recovery readiness faster in their own territory. So, if you're in enemy territory, the AI armies would recover faster than you
  
• The AI gets bonuses to readiness depending on difficulty level. What difficulty level did you set this campaign to?
  
• Armies recover readiness faster if they are properly supplied. The AI army being in its own territory likely has a better supply than you.
  
• Armies recover readiness faster if their morale is higher. Being in your own territory makes your morale rise faster. Thus, the AI army would have higher morale and therefore higher increase of readiness

I'm not saying all these things are happening in your campaign. I'm just saying these are things to consider to explain what could be happening.

Also, you can always right-click somewhere in your own territory and move no matter what your morale/supply/readiness situation is. A good example is the Missouri State Guard for the CSA side in Spring 1861 campaigns. You can start moving that army on day one as long as you right-click somewhere in CSA territory.

Lastly, you can always transfer an army to another one. The one downside being that you would lose that army's XP that you've acquired. If it has any.

Hope this helps,

Right-clicking friendly territory worked thanks! I was foolishly clicking inside Missouri which is still Union territory. it's such a big state I thought that my half of it must be safe. Problem solved!

[jlmccoy76]

In the Confederate '61 campaign, the Missouri State Guard is trapped in the middle of the state. The only way I've found to get them out, is to transfer all their units to the Western Army in Fort Smith Arkansas. From there I can rebuild it (if I choose), and the two armies can leap frog each other building supply depots on the way back up. The AI will either obliterate you in an endless siege that you can't withdraw from, or round robin you with it's armies until you shatter otherwise. Save your manpower, and return later to reclaim Missouri. Standing your ground is death.

[ajarnlance]

Originally posted by jlmccoy76:

In the Confederate '61 campaign, the Missouri State Guard is trapped in the middle of the state. The only way I've found to get them out, is to transfer all their units to the Western Army in Fort Smith Arkansas. From there I can rebuild it (if I choose), and the two armies can leap frog each other building supply depots on the way back up. The AI will either obliterate you in an endless siege that you can't withdraw from, or round robin you with it's armies until you shatter otherwise. Save your manpower, and return later to reclaim Missouri. Standing your ground is death.

Yes I've had the same experience. Seems like a design flaw. The devs need to fix this starting set up.

[balrog2sdu]

There's another option you can try for them. I've done this before:

Tell the Missouri State Guard to start moving towards the Western Army down in Arkansas on day one. When they get 'close' to Rolla, Missouri where the North has a starting supply depot, you can hit the HALT button to stop the Missouri State Guard. This will get them in supply and raise their morale/readiness faster.

Then, you can transfer the Western Army into the Missouri State Guard to beef up their numbers. If the Union leaves you alone for a little bit, which can happen, this force can hold its own in Missouri until you can get more forces and begin an offensive operation.

Give this a try?

[jlmccoy76]

I have tried this before, the game will not allow the MSG to move due to low readiness while on enemy territory.

[ajarnlance]

Originally posted by jlmccoy76:

I have tried this before, the game will not allow the MSG to move due to low readiness while on enemy territory.

Yeah. I've had the same experience. Seems like there is nothing we can do. Devs need to look into this.

[Polygon]

You can move them. I do it every game. You just have to do what Bradford recommended above.

[balrog2sdu]

I just started a fresh campaign - Spring 1861 as CSA. Hit 50x speed until war starts April 15th. Ordered MSG to move to Arkansas just north of Fayetteville. It lets me do it just fine.

I am on Development version 1.0631... so not sure if the regular version of the game has different behavior here.

It sounds like you guys are right-clicking somewhere in Missouri, though. You can't do that unless you start with Missouri seceded. Which by the way, you can start with Missouri and Kentucky as CSA by doing these Grand Policies at the start:

Kansas a Slave State, Apostles of Disunion

That should give you enough support in those states to start the war with them. Doing that will count Missouri as your territory.