EMPTY PROCINCES

**Souvorov** · April 18, 2009, 12:09 PM

What is GOING ON!

sometimes provinces are just empty - and if you can move quick enough maybe you can take them...

has anyone had any luck with empty provinces?

**Double X** · April 18, 2009, 12:34 PM

Wha? Do you mean rebel provinces?

**Souvorov** · April 18, 2009, 12:39 PM

Example: Warsaw - no troops in the city - just walk in and take it, and cities around it like that as well, not all (it's not a bug it's just AI), it's just if you're lucky you can just walk in and seize them, which is a bit strange

**the_mango55** · April 18, 2009, 01:58 PM

Warsaw?

That's the polish capital, it should be at minimum defended by like 6-10 musket armed citizens, even if there aren't any troops there.

I think your game is bugged.

**Souvorov** · April 18, 2009, 02:02 PM

that's the thing - it's not bugged but the enemy does not keep the cities garrisoned - and the funny thing is I know they have an army at least in that rather big province!

What I'm saying is send your spies out - and you may spot an undefended province - then just recruit a general once you've come as close as you can to get extra movement points, and maybe you can just seize the province with no resistance.

But you have to be fast - they recruit quickly and move forces around

**Faris ad Din** · April 18, 2009, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by the_mango55

Warsaw?

That's the polish capital, it should be at minimum defended by like 6-10 musket armed citizens, even if there aren't any troops there.

I think your game is bugged.

It never got my attention before, but I noticed some region capitals don't display the gray unit bars (automatic citizen levy mob defenders). I thought it was just the game not bothering to display how many free mobs you can get from the capitals, but perhaps it may indicate that there aren't any to begin with. Personally I never attacked any town that didn't have citizen mob defenders, nor defended any without some. As to the ones without any gray bars, I didn't pay very well attention... I will from now to check on this.

**Careless** · April 18, 2009, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by Faris ad Din

It never got my attention before, but I noticed some region capitals don't display the gray unit bars (automatic citizen levy mob defenders). I thought it was just the game not bothering to display how many free mobs you can get from the capitals, but perhaps it may indicate that there aren't any to begin with. Personally I never attacked any town that didn't have citizen mob defenders, nor defended any without some. As to the ones without any gray bars, I didn't pay very well attention... I will from now to check on this.

The ones you see when they're not under siege are different and unrelated to the auto-defenders. They represent the town watch used to combat unrest. You won't see that if unrest is very low.

**Faris ad Din** · April 18, 2009, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by Careless

The ones you see when they're not under siege are different and unrelated to the auto-defenders. They represent the town watch used to combat unrest. You won't see that if unrest is very low.

No, I'm quite certain those extra gray bars represent the auto-defenders one-to-one. COUNT the bars and attack/defend a few towns and compare the numbers. They always match. Town watch has nothing to do with them. I get about thirteen in my capital (capitals get extra armed citizenry) and it has the highest public order of all my regions. Some region capitals display these bars. Some don't.

Reading Souvorov's posts again - I think he's not facing completely empty towns - just AI regions without any extra recruited units, but still have armed citizenry. I've noticed Poland-Lithuania has a habit of doing that, and leaves around two regions entirely ungarrisoned, even along frontiers with nations with which it is at war. Sweden was at war with PL for several years, and marched in an army and just took Lithuania and Poland (no more Lithuania more, is there?) still didn't move any troops to face them - Sweden can just take Minsk now where there's no extra garrison. So can I. Yes, the AI does this.

**fluffstalker** · April 18, 2009, 08:52 PM

If you mean that provinces you attack are completely and utterly empty, its a bug. There must be some sort of defense there, even if its only mobs.

If you mean that the AI does a pathetic job of defending its most important regions, and leaves them with one or two infantry units plus the milita for you to gobble up, then yes, this is the case.

**HawkDreams** · April 19, 2009, 01:05 AM

Yeah, there are quite a few provinces that get left with only armed citizenry guarding, but any idiot can take out the town watch even when outnumbered 3:1! LOL Now, if the AI would garrison the firearms units in the buildings available and the rest in between, it would be a different battle.

By the way, the Ottomans do the same as Poland Lithuania!

**Souvorov** · April 19, 2009, 04:41 AM

lol some of you noticed it too - the AI leaves many cities undefended - but there is logic to it - they increase the number of troops when you increase your presence on the border. Basically, you have to be swift and if you have a spy and you know there is no garrison you can send a cavalry unit and just take it.

But if there was an army and then it's gone like in my case with Warsaw - ha ha ha - that means it's probable about to invade me on the other side!

**Faris ad Din** · April 19, 2009, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by Souvorov

But if there was an army and then it's gone like in my case with Warsaw - ha ha ha - that means it's probable about to invade me on the other side!

I think more likely that they're just putting their large army on the border to defend their territory, if you're currently at peace - although I need a bit more campaign experience to test this. Both France and Spain are massing their troops near their border with me - even when I have no troops at all with the border with Spain. They have about seven units across the Straits of Gibraltar. I have five units on the border with France - they have about fifteen units in Strasbourg. I had eight units on the border with Poland, and they brought about fifteen units there too. I freaked out, and increased the town garrison to twelve, and now they have nearly a full stack. It's probably in the AI programming to maintain a numerical superiority over you.

Or then again, they're preparing numerical superiority so they can defeat me when they attack.

It'll be my loss if my gambit is wrong... hahaha, "Turkish Gambit"!

Originally Posted by HawkDreams

Yeah, there are quite a few provinces that get left with only town watch guarding, but any idiot can take out the town watch even when outnumbered 3:1!

Just make sure - TOWN WATCH is different from armed citizenry. "Town Watch" used for quelling unrest doesn't have any effect in armed forces - it's just some sum of money you pay. If you use the same term for the armed citizenry, we can get people confused. I just suggest "armed citizenry"/"armed mobs" are better terms here in ETW!

**HawkDreams** · April 19, 2009, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by Faris ad Din

Just make sure - TOWN WATCH is different from armed citizenry. "Town Watch" used for quelling unrest doesn't have any effect in armed forces - it's just some sum of money you pay. If you use the same term for the armed citizenry, we can get people confused. I just suggest "armed citizenry"/"armed mobs" are better terms here in ETW!

Sigh... Very true... Edited!

**Deathofjams** · April 19, 2009, 06:40 PM

Interestingly, during rebellions the armed citizenry seem to disappear from the town. I doubt that's what caused the TCs problem, but it can happen that cities are totally empty.