Fortress Garrisons & Foreign Intervention

[Krüger]

Hello all, first post on these forums after discovering this game about a week ago. Excellent game, i have found the information posted on here to have helped immensely in my efforts to preserve the Confederacy in my campaign! I hope you don't mind a couple of questions:

1) After going to considerable effort to recapture Norfolk from the Union, which had been taken when i had diverted efforts to capture Fort Monroe - i managed to secure both. I have them fortified but i believe my forces there to be a little over the top. What exactly is the 'optimal' fortress garrison, or does such a thing not really exist?

2) I have read from snippets here and elsewhere on the internet that foreign intervention in the war is quite possible, but i have yet to see anything manifest from my attempts to 'encourage' British support. I have a foreign entry level of 48 currently, after clawing up from the low 20's following the Emancipation Proclamation. Do i simply Embargo Cotton whenever the chance arises or is there an easier way to achieve intervention?

Any feedback would be gratefully appreciated. Cheers!

[GShock]

1) After going to considerable effort to recapture Norfolk from the Union, which had been taken when i had diverted efforts to capture Fort Monroe - i managed to secure both. I have them fortified but i believe my forces there to be a little over the top. What exactly is the 'optimal' fortress garrison, or does such a thing not really exist?

A big garrison will consume supply much faster but it's a good deterrent against the siege even after the structure has been breached. Such a garrison can also help a lot when relieved by rescue parties coming to help raise the siege. There's no optimal as it all depends on the number/type/leader forces you have against such garrison.

2) I have read from snippets here and elsewhere on the internet that foreign intervention in the war is quite possible, but i have yet to see anything manifest from my attempts to 'encourage' British support. I have a foreign entry level of 48 currently, after clawing up from the low 20's following the Emancipation Proclamation. Do i simply Embargo Cotton whenever the chance arises or is there an easier way to achieve intervention?

The easiest way is to use all your political means and gamble to achieve a higher intervention rate. The other side will do it as well. The values you read trigger intervention and subsidies only when the threshold is met, however the better you fight the faster the meter will rise. Of course the political options help but they won't get you anywhere if you are losing ground and this is especially true for CSA as this nation doesn't have resources to spare for multiple failures with the political options.

[Pocus]

Even if you fail the FE, subsidies are more frequent the higher the value is, so you should always strive to get as much FE as possible.

FE is also a game of luck. You need to be chancy and trigger the bright sides of events to get it. This is unfair, but this is one of the cause why it is so hard to decide europe supporting you.

[pepe4158]

Even if you fail the FE, subsidies are more frequent the higher the value is, so you should always strive to get as much FE as possible.
FE is also a game of luck. You need to be chancy and trigger the bright sides of events to get it. This is unfair, but this is one of the cause why it is so hard to decide europe supporting you.

Think its a better game making that its a matter of luck anyway.....if there was a definite strategy to make it happen it would be like an, 'I-WIN-BUTTON' those suck IMO, better each game is much different n left to an element of luck.
IMO the best path to vistory as the confederacy is tricking the AI away from Washington n slipin around him with your faster (n early stronger units cuz of the leaders) n hammering Washington before he reacts to what you were up to.