Retreat option in the game menu

[Jacek]

I checked this option to see how if would affect the game mechanics and disabled it after only two turns! My experience with this option has been bad and I would like to confirm one thing: this option will make my forces retreat in the face of a numerically superior enemy NO MATTER if my force is inside or outside structure in a given region, rgiht? In my game Huger left Fairfax region because some big Union force entered the region, but ALSO Longstreet left Alexandria without a fight !!!!! I thought that only stacks outside structres will automatically retreat while your smaller stacks inside cities will hold and wait for some reinforcements.

So, does this option move ALL your inferior stacks from a region?

Thx

[runyan99]

You are referring to the Avoid Combat button?

[Jacek]

Main menu, Options, Game, Allow Retreat.

[Doomwalker]

Jacek, when you where doing your testing with the option on/off, what where your combat observations? Did units still retreat after battle, or did they get themselves completely destroyed?

[Jacek]

Well, they actually DIDN'T see any battle! My forces just left the region after a powerful stack invaded. They were just giving away the region away for free while taking some severe hits during their retreat. My testing lasted only two turns. So in my case the Allow retreat worked pretty well. My forces were successfull in leaving an important region without a fight. Not actually combat, isn't it?

[Doomwalker]

Actually I was wondering more about how they acted when it was turned off. Did they still retreat from the battle, or did they stay till destroyed?

I am getting tired of haveing to hit a enemy unit from 5-6 different locations to destroy it. Only to have it wiggle its way through the surrounding forces and continue its raid into my territory.

[Cat Lord]

I have seen units getting out of provinces rather than inside structures and away before being crushed or in a position not to sustain a siege, and I have seen other units going in and withstanding a siege (probably hoping for reinforcements or a relief force to come), so it doesn't look broken to me.

At least, it's consistent for both sides.

Cat

[Pocus]

Disallowing retreat is not supposed to be the standard behavior, we mostly use this for debugging purpose, but if this is your cup of tea, use it. This won't be historical though.

[Jacek]

Well, I disabled it mostly because that forces inside structures also retreated to different regions without fight. BTW, maybe that retreating is linked to importance of a city i.e your stack will stay in a Strategic City when given region is invaded by big enemy stack, but retreat from normal , level 1-3cities? If its random then it would be realy hard to plan your strategy.

[Pocus]

if you are attacked while in a structure, then it means you are besieged. And if you are besieged, you should not be able to retreat at all. If you have a save showing that I would be interested.

[Doomwalker]

OK, I guess it is time to devise new tactics to prevent those run-away units from raiding my territory for the entire summer.