I don't understand why units move as they do.

[Huskalator]

Hi,

I really want to like this game but every time I get into it I reach a point of frustration.

This evening it is the way units move. Units seem to have a mind of their own and just move as they please. I am playing the EE and several large stacks of mine and several large stacks of Austrians walked past each other. There was some kind of battle between some troops or ours but not everyone. Some troops completely bypassed each other. Now I have Austrians in my rear sieging a city and chewing up railroad. Now I have to double back and deal with units in my rear.

Also, Brusilov just decided to leave the territory that he was attacking for no reason at all. He was set to attack a territory and he did. Then at the end of the turn he is in the adjacent territory while the rest of the stacks he was attacking with are still in the territory being attacked. I don't think he retreated as he still has an offensive stance and every time I have seen a retreat the stack is set to passive.

Another issue is units changing their stance on their own. I sent units to attack a territory with the offensive posture and then in the battle report it says they have an assault posture. I don't want them to attack with an assault posture I want to make them attack with an offensive posture.

Why are they doing this? How do I make my units attack everything in their path and let nothing past? How do I make my units never EVER EVER EVER just move into a seemingly random adjacent territory on their own?

[Merlin]

Hi,

I really want to like this game but every time I get into it I reach a point of frustration.

This evening it is the way units move. Units seem to have a mind of their own and just move as they please. I am playing the EE and several large stacks of mine and several large stacks of Austrians walked past each other. There was some kind of battle between some troops or ours but not everyone. Some troops completely bypassed each other. Now I have Austrians in my rear sieging a city and chewing up railroad. Now I have to double back and deal with units in my rear.

That's one of the interesting features which the simultaneous execution system has. You could try changing the commitment delay to the lowest setting in options. You'll find this happens less and less as you become proficient with the MTSG concepts, though.

Also, Brusilov just decided to leave the territory that he was attacking for no reason at all. He was set to attack a territory and he did. Then at the end of the turn he is in the adjacent territory while the rest of the stacks he was attacking with are still in the territory being attacked. I don't think he retreated as he still has an offensive stance and every time I have seen a retreat the stack is set to passive.

Check the battle messages. Perhaps he retreated before larger forces which MTSGed into the battle, or maybe he didn't have sufficient cohesion or supply. The messages will usually tell you what happened.

Another issue is units changing their stance on their own. I sent units to attack a territory with the offensive posture and then in the battle report it says they have an assault posture. I don't want them to attack with an assault posture I want to make them attack with an offensive posture.

If any force involved has an assault posture, the summary will show an assault posture. Most likely you had a stack set to assault (you may have just forgotten about it) and it MTSGed into the battle.

Why are they doing this? How do I make my units attack everything in their path and let nothing past? How do I make my units never EVER EVER EVER just move into a seemingly random adjacent territory on their own?

Don't issue them orders, don't stay in assault or offensive posture, set stacks you don't want to MTSG to G/G or Evade Combat, and don't move every single stack in a region when attacking. Movement is a very deliberate thing in this game.

[Kensai]

Two words: COHESION and STANCE. Try to keep a front with these aspects carefully selected for your units. Do not overdo it with Blitzkrieg-styled offensives, you need time to pacify what you gained (Military Control) and that is crucial for having supplies pass, railroads used, and enemies not "retreating" so often in conquered territory.