Garrison QOL Improvement

[Michael Gladius]

When I have an army on garrison duty, the divisions will shuffle to respond to threats. This isn't a bad thing, but in the process they will leave critical ports and forts totally unguarded, and shuffle in divisions from halfway across the country to replace them. So I'd like to ask if the garrisoned troops would always leave at least one division on ports/forts, etc. This way, if I'm playing as China, and the Japanese attack next to a port, my garrisons defending the port won't shuffle ALL of the defending divisions out in the process of counterattacking, thus abandoning the port and letting the enemy capture it without a fight.

 

[Simon_9732495]

Yes.

I sometimes just delete the "area defense" order, and leave the units without orders, to make them stay where they are.
Downsides:

• The x3 unit bonus is gone. General can only take 24 unit again and not 72. (Workaround: Do an empty "area defense" order in Argentinia.)
• If 1 unit gets pushed back during a naval invasion, it stays one province away from the coast tile and is not coming back. (Workaround: Look at the units and micro frequently)
• New assigned units are not distributed automatically. If I want to double my coast garrisons I have to to the whole area defense order again, wait for the units to distribute (hope that there is a moment without invasion were the units stop moving around) and delete the order again.
• Doing an area defense order all around Europe from Denmark over Spain and Italy to Greece takes 50? mouse clicks. Doing that and deleting it afterwards (knowing that I might have to do it again) feels not too good.

A coastal defense order where you can just click a coast line and the units distribute evenly once an then stand still forever and only move back to the coast when they get pushed would be a HUGE QOL impromevent.

 

[blue_yonder]

For me the best garrison QoL improvement would simply be if they didn't run around looking for trouble, staying put and only shooting back when shot at. If a fort or whatever falls to the enemy, they should shrug and carry on playing cards - it's the job of a proper attacking force to retake lost ground.

edit: or better yet, have an option of active or passive garrison duty, according to whether or not you want them to de-entrench themselves and try to take back land. @podcat does have 'making defence more fun' on his wishlist, and stopping the cretinous behaviour of on-map garrisons would definitely qualify.

 

[Simon_9732495]

have an option of active or passive garrison duty,

It could maybe be done with the setting to execute battle plans careful, balanced or aggressive. Careful and on "area defense" would make them stay put.

 

[Riekopo]

There should be a 'sticky' option to designate certain tiles as important. So they don't leave them unguarded or only leave them as a last resort.

 

[xtfoster]

I typically use multiple Area Defense Armies. 1 only to watch the ports and coastal forts. Another to guard Victory Points, Air Bases, etc. That way the ones reshuffling are typically only the interior ones.