Lounge Lizards and Beer Hogs

[Straight Arrow]

I have a reoccurring problem with entrenched troops outside of cities. For some reason, and it seems random, the entrenched troops often abandon their position in the field and move into the city.

This of course results in the countryside entrenchment level dropping to zero.

I’ve locked the units and triple checked to make sure they did not have movement orders. Sometimes this seems to work. But, I still find a steady trickle of units packing up on their own and moving into town.

Anyone know why this might happen?

[Durk]

Interesting. I have never seen this behavior. Do you, perchance, have the enter structure behavior turned on?

[DrPostman]

Does it happen after you load a save? I've seen that with small units after
saving and exiting the games, they all seem to want to "tuck in" when I
load it back up.

[Straight Arrow]

[color="#FFFF00"]"Do you, perchance, have the enter structure behavior turned on?"[/color]

No, I've checked for that. I mainly use the enter structure button after long marches in the Far West and rarely elsewhere.


[color="#FFFF00"]"Does it happen after you load a save?"[/color]

Yes, to loading after a save.
But it can also happen after resuming. As you commented, it seems to mainly affect smaller forces. And as I have a tendency to use militia as entrenchment holders outside major cities, the change tends to be very noticeable. Richmond and sea coast cities like New Orleans and Charleston are major hot spots for disappearing entrenchments, while places like Chattanooga never seem to have this trouble.

Maybe there's a link between the problem and small home areas?

[tripax]

If you start to train a new unit and place them outside the city, the first turn after their creation they like to go into the city to sign their papers (and spend their bounty). After the first turn, they can continue training outside. While I don't know if this is your situation, make sure you wait a turn before putting new units into your lines outside of cities.

[Straight Arrow]

That's new information to me. And as I almost always place new builds outside, it is likely the cause, or main cause, of my troops turning into Lounge Lizards and Beer Hogs.

I'll give it a try.

Thanks tripax,

[Captain_Orso]

Tripax is right about new units you just dropped onto the map. When the turn they were ordered is executed, they always go into the city.

For non-moving units, if you set the Enter Structure SO button, they will only enter the city if they are retreating, and then there is still a chance that they might exit the region completely instead. Sometimes if a vastly superior force enters the region, a static force can break and retreat just on seeing the advancing enemy force. In such cases they might enter the city--even if the Enter Structure SO is not on, but it's not likely--.

I can't remember ever seeing stacks simply pick up and visit the local watering hole in the city without there having been some enemy action causing them to leave their entrenchments, even in the worst of winter storms. Very dutiful, my Boys in Blue