Why can't I go back to Selanik?

[Sybrand99]

So the Ottomans declared on me, and everything went very good (allied only with Albania and Wallachia). My nobility gave me a 5 shock general and Albania has Skanderbeg. I could wipe the Ottomans time after time (with a bit of luck) and I managed to take Selanik. They started sieging Constantinople with a 10k stack and I moved to them from Selanik through Edirne and wiped their army. After that I began to siege Edirne, but than the strange thing happens. Noble rebels spawned in Edirne (unlucky) and I was losing the battle. The problem was that I couldn't go back to Selanik or my navy, but only to Constantinople (where a new 4k army with Ottoman troups was standing). I lost the battle and the army walked to Ottomans and was wiped, 12k very important troups gone.

Does anyone know why I couldn't go back to Selanik, because then the Ottomans couldn't wipe mine and Albanias army? Honestly, I don't exactly know all the fort rules work.

This is a screenshot from a few months later (I forgot to take one at the moment, the situation with my navy and controlled provinces was the same), I am still going to win the war but it's a shame to lose such a big part of your army.

 

[inreadible]

If I had to guess I'd say that entering friendly territory (Constantinople) "reseted" your return province so once you stepped from Constantinople to Edirne, you were in that fort's ZOC and couldn't go further. This is just speculation and I may be wrong and someone wiser will have the right answer.

 

[Katsu Kare]

Here is my guess:
Before you occupied Selanik, you could move through Edirne from Constantinople to Selanik because you are able to move into a hostile fort (Selanik) even after entering hostile zone of control (Edirne).
You are also able to move from Selanik to Constantinople through Edirne for two different reason (as in either one would be enough):
1. Constantinople is your return province and Edirne is either a hostile fort province or connected to Constantinople by less than 2 non hostile-ZoC provinces, or
2. Constantinople is allied fort province and Edirne is a hostile fort province.
However when you have already occupied Selanik, Selanik is not a hostile fort province anymore as it's effect as hostile fort seizes.
Selanik is now works as an hostile fort for your enemy (Ottomans), but NOT an allied fort for you. (It's also part of Edirne's ZoC)
Now back at Constantinople, you enter hostile zone of control (Edirne), but unlike the first time you aren't able to move past because there is no way to Selanik from Constantinople without going through hostile ZoC nor is Selanik a hostile fort for being occupied, which otherwise would have allowed an exception to the previous rule just like first time.

 

[Sybrand99]

Actually, I've lost the war after all....

The Ottomans managed to beat me at Selanik and Constantinople (same tech levels and my general is a god) and Wallachia and Albania white peaced.

 

[Sybrand99]

Here is my guess:
Before you occupied Selanik, you could move through Edirne from Constantinople to Selanik because you are able to move into a hostile fort (Selanik) even after entering hostile zone of control (Edirne).
You are also able to move from Selanik to Constantinople through Edirne for two different reason (as in either one would be enough):
1. Constantinople is your return province and Edirne is either a hostile fort province or connected to Constantinople by less than 2 non hostile-ZoC provinces, or
2. Constantinople is allied fort province and Edirne is a hostile fort province.
However when you have already occupied Selanik, Selanik is not a hostile fort province anymore as it's effect as hostile fort seizes.
Selanik is now works as an hostile fort for your enemy (Ottomans), but NOT an allied fort for you. (It's also part of Edirne's ZoC)
Now back at Constantinople, you enter hostile zone of control (Edirne), but unlike the first time you aren't able to move past because there is no way to Selanik from Constantinople without going through hostile ZoC nor is Selanik a hostile fort for being occupied, which otherwise would have allowed an exception to the previous rule just like first time.

All right, that sounds like a good explanation. But does that mean that I also could go back to the fort in Morea (I haven't checked that well)? And it was a mistake by me to go to Constantinople (I was unlucky with the rebels, but ok)?

 

[Lumpy]

From my experience, the ZoC system is mostly dysfunctional. Your problems which were caused by changing occupations are just the tip of the iceberg. The AI is quite often not affected by forts, and seems to play by entirely different rules than the human player. This has been an issue for a long time. I think the devs declared the current mess to be WAD, though.

 

[Splax77]

ZOC has a horrible tendency to recalculate itself after you occupy a province and leave you unable to go back the way you came. I really wish Paradox would change it.