Fix incessant 1-3 stacks

[TheMeInTeam]

They make mid-late game terrible micro hell while also harming the AI. This is an issue that cropped up with the non-fort province siege rules, previously it wasn't an issue.

The AI loves to train/merc out 1 stacks and try to counter-siege non-fort provinces, especially in its own territory.

It does this despite the presence of stacks near it that can 10:1 wipe them, over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

There is a meaning to the above number of "over"s. That is the number of fights vs one stacks in a single war vs Harer, which had conquered Ethiopia, Adal, and not much else. I only had 40 regiments in the area; a consolidated force of 30+ units (more if you count actual battles and not 10:1 stomp storms) could perhaps do something.

Nope. Throw units away forever. I think encouraging the AI to consolidate away from enemy stacks, as opposed to trying to unsiege itself with 1 stack that can easily be wiped, would not only immensely benefit player sanity, but also the AI's effectiveness at war. The purpose of training units is not to lose them for free or maybe get a 1-2 month unsiege, after all. Trying to unsiege itself is something the AI should do when there aren't stacks that can wipe it reliably near the province it's trying to unsiege.

Keep in mind, of course, that the above is a single war. If you want to guess at the number of those I'd have to past to cover every multi front war over a 10 year period in the mid-late game, feel free, but I think it would exceed the post length cap.

Bold/underline for Tl DR.

 

[Zelius]

They make mid-late game terrible micro hell while also harming the AI. This is an issue that cropped up with the non-fort province siege rules, previously it wasn't an issue.

The AI loves to train/merc out 1 stacks and try to counter-siege non-fort provinces, especially in its own territory.

It does this despite the presence of stacks near it that can 10:1 wipe them, over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

There is a meaning to the above number of "over"s. That is the number of fights vs one stacks in a single war vs Harer, which had conquered Ethiopia, Adal, and not much else. I only had 40 regiments in the area; a consolidated force of 30+ units (more if you count actual battles and not 10:1 stomp storms) could perhaps do something.

Nope. Throw units away forever. I think encouraging the AI to consolidate away from enemy stacks, as opposed to trying to unsiege itself with 1 stack that can easily be wiped, would not only immensely benefit player sanity, but also the AI's effectiveness at war. The purpose of training units is not to lose them for free or maybe get a 1-2 month unsiege, after all. Trying to unsiege itself is something the AI should do when there aren't stacks that can wipe it reliably near the province it's trying to unsiege.

Keep in mind, of course, that the above is a single war. If you want to guess at the number of those I'd have to past to cover every multi front war over a 10 year period in the mid-late game, feel free, but I think it would exceed the post length cap.

Bold/underline for Tl DR.

Totally agree, have seen this way too often.

"Oh, enemy made one stack and is seiging back a province, time to attack"

"Wait no, I'm in Russia. S***."
Land is seiged by defender and army too far to catch by the time I get there. Split my stack to occupy+catch them.

"Oh wait, another one-stack popped out of FOW and is heading for the White Sea COT. If I leave that alone they will pump out more one-stacks."

"Time to split another of my stacks to cat- oh wait, ZoC means it will take 4 months. ****."
Spend many minutes moving my own small stacks around, constantly micro-ing to catch all the single regiments running around.

So now I'm just carpet siege everything like the good old days using multiple stacks, like it's WW2 or something. You don't HAVE to occupy those non-fort provinces, true, but then some sneaky bastard will declare on your enemy and sit on almost no warscore, but you can't demand those provinces anymore.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Holding lots of provinces drives up WE.

The AI should try to un-siege, but it should not attempt to blow by stacks that can insta-wipe them in order to do so. Especially with move lock, it's trivial to catch them if you play slowly, but it's hard to think of any way one might justify that as fun.

 

[Zelius]

Holding lots of provinces drives up WE.

The AI should try to un-siege, but it should not attempt to blow by stacks that can insta-wipe them in order to do so. Especially with move lock, it's trivial to catch them if you play slowly, but it's hard to think of any way one might justify that as fun.

I've heard tell that non-fort provinces don't give much WE. Have you found this to be true?

Yes, I agree the AI should try to un-siege so that it gets its income / trade power back, but sending small stacks out of the safety of their ZoC-controlled territory to do so, and being annihilated, is the problem.

It might even be a somewhat viable tactic vs other AI / careless humans, who don't split their stacks, but sure is annoying.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

I'm not against sneak siege, my suggestion is just that those one stacks fear moving next to stacks that can wipe them.