v1.04b (bug?): Ninety-Six - the battle that wasn't!

[MarkShot]

Here we have another interesting before and after.

In the first screenshot, we have Watson besieged at Ninety-Six by Greene. Seeing that Greene might be overwhelmed before Cornwallis can come to his aid. The following orders are issued. Watson is order to sortie and assist Cornwallis when he arrives. Cornwallis is given aggressive orders such that he should retake Ninety-Six if he arrives to find the rebels already holding the fort.

In the second screenshot, we see that Watson apparently sortied upon Cornwallis' arrival. However, Cornwallis despite his posture did not engage Greene during the entire month.

Something doesn't see right here.

Email sent to support with save game titled "Ninety-Six - the battle that wasn't".

[Pocus]

the messages 5 and 6 says that the english attempted (and succeeded) a retreat, so the armies reverted to a passive posture.

[MarkShot]

Argh - I already deleted the save game which I sent you.

I am pretty sure if you look, both Watson and Cornwallis are still in Ninety-Six the next turn (not moving some place else) and not with a passive posture. Furthermore, there was a battle which took place in Ninety-Six, but it appears that it was only Watson.

Maybe I am missing something, but it doesn't look like Cornwallis retreated or fought.

Thanks.

[Pocus]

Ok, reran the turn. The thing which (or is it 'that' ) don't make sense is why Cornwallis retreated before Greene. In my test, he fought and you send Greene retreating.

Now for the rest, the explanation is logical. Both english armies wanted to retreat (for Watson it's normal, he was weaker).

1. Watson want to retreat and succeed, 96 is taken by Greene.
2. Cornwallis arrive, decide to retreat.
3. 96 is an enemy fort. This means your are in a ZOC: you are only allowed to retreat into an adjacent region where you are the highest military controler. No such region exists, the highest for you being at 23%, this is the region where Cornwallis comes from.
4. being stranded, the engine stop your move and switch you to offensive, as this meant for him that you tried to pass through enemy lines (not quite true, this is a fort effect, not a front effect*, its an acceptable simplification I think) => you revert to offensive.

*: for a front effect, try to move english units out of Boston in 75.

Hope it makes sense.

gameplay & hints additions for everybody:
a) try to secure the control of some regions, don't blaze into enemy territory.
b) to bypass ZOC, use irregulars or cavalry-only armies.

[MarkShot]

Okay, so there is an issue and you will investigate why Cornwallis who is quite a bit stronger chose to retreat? Or is that simply a feature of the game's FOW/randomness?

Thanks.

[Pocus]

I can't investigate much more: I'm myself in 1.06, and even if I can read previous save formats (your is in 1.04), the code has changed enough so that the random dices generated randomly differs, so your behavior doesn't repeat in my version... I looked in the code for retreat determination, and there is nothing which seem wrong.

I would say that he had perhaps a very small chance to retreat, and this was pure bad luck that he decided to do so in your game.