Beseiged Force Escaping

[choppinlt]

I have seen this happen one other time within 6 months of this game coming out, but don't recall seeing it after various updates. In short I have Athens completely blockaded with idle fleets, and besieged with a large army (40+ units total). I split the army to withdraw about 10 units to recover in Boetia, and the remaining 30+ army left idle still laying siege. Athens had 19 units as part of the standard garrison, and a few other units. But they were able to send a combined force of 17 units with cav hoplites and LI out of Athens (not including the garrison). This Athenian force not only avoided the idle besieging army, they attacked my 10 units that withdrew into Boetia. The Athenian force proceeded to keep moving and now besiege Acarnania. Can someone explain to me how that can happen? My biggest concern is how they could escape the idle besieging force....

[Gray Fox]

This sort of anomaly has been reported for quite a while now...

[SuitedQueens]

This issue was discussed in this very recent topic. viewtopic.php?f=534&t=105307

Pocus response was a mystery to me:

Actually I had a single save and failed to reproduce the issue. And I did not connect with a 1 MP cost, so thanks to you all.

One possibility would be to have any besieged force pays at least 2 to exit a siege . But is it worth it?

I hope this means that the issue actually connected to 1 MP cost cause it clearly is and I can send a save to proof that. It's the same logic in play as when you exit the region you are laying siege on with an assault order that won't be executed on that region if movement takes 1 MP. Expanding on that example: if it costs more than 1 MP you will assault that region and proceed with your regular move.

[Pocus]

I have modified movement cost so that a besieged force always pay a minimum of 2 MP, in the yet to publish version 1.38.

[choppinlt]

I’m glad this is being addressed, but how does that fix the issue? Does that simply force a battle impulse 1? If they lose I assume they remain in garrison?

[Swuul]

I’m glad this is being addressed, but how does that fix the issue? Does that simply force a battle impulse 1? If they lose I assume they remain in garrison?

A besieged unit is not in combat at the start of the turn, and as such it is not locked in place if it gets lucky and gets to move before the besieging force *and* if it costs exactly 1 MP to move out from the region. By increasing the MP cost to 2, the besieged force can not leave the besieged city, as it is then considered to be locked in in combat.

[choppinlt]

Great thanks!

[LobbyRager]

Seems like armies are still able to escape in 1.39 from besieged cities, and move on to other territories to attack - bypassing the sieging army entirely.

[Pocus]

Mmmh, I made some tests and it seemed to work. If you have a saved game before the battle?

[LobbyRager]

No, unfortunately not. It occurred fairly early in a multiplayer game. Once, I was at war with one of the minor Greek states (Aetolia?) and Athens. Aetolia was down to just their army and a coastal province, and Athens was being sieged by my army. The Aetolians managed to escape over land (not to the sea), pass by my army and through Boetia, and then retook one of their home regions that had no palisade present.

Another player in my game reported something similar happening. The Syracusean (NPC) capitol was under siege, adjacent to a territory that Carthage had conquered. The Syracusean army escaped over land past a besieging army, and retook a territory that they formerly owned.

[Pocus]

Ok, time to verify what went wrong here then...

[Gray Fox]

viewtopic.php?f=534&t=97478&p=836182#p836182

Deja vu, Lobbyrager.

[Swuul]

Ok, time to verify what went wrong here then...

Has the MP server been upgraded to 1.39?

[Pocus]

Yes, this is automated.