Port control

[Guderian1940]

I took the town of Kristansand in Norway and the port. Convoy to GE was rerouted to Narvik. Fair enough. A German unit moves adjacent to the town/ port. My unit is in possession of the town and the GE unit takes control of the port. The convoy to GE goes back to the port at Kristansand. How can this be? I thought the port control was fixed? You own the town you own the port. Very very annoying.

Noticed on the following turn the convoy route went back to Narvik. A glitch somewhere.

[PvtBenjamin]

These changes were made to ports in v1.10 don't know if it applies

Ports will now switch control if you've captured an adjacent resource. The only exception will be if there is another enemy resource adjacent to the port, that resource will need to be captured as well. All other port capturing rules remain the same.
- Ports no longer exert automatic control over adjacent and empty enemy hexes.

[Hubert Cater]

If your unit was still in Kristansand, then the German unit should not have gained control of the port, however, if the unit had left Kristansand then this is currently possible with the current rules.

However in light of the idea that we recently amended the code to have ports switch control if you've captured the adjacent town, then this should also change in that an adjacent town, even if unoccupied still exerts control over the port. If I change this then what you saw happen in your game would no longer happen etc.

[Guderian1940]

The town was in my control with a garrison when this happened. Was not able to embark and get away. However as mentioned the Convoy route changed from Narvik to Kristesand when the GE unit moved adjacent to the town/Port. The next turn with my garrison still there, convoy route changed back to Narvik and is staying there a couple of turns later. The German had eliminated the garrison during the turn and now GE occupies the town.

As mentioned might just be a unique glitch.

[Leadwieght]

There are a few port/city combos that on the map do not seem to quite follow the rules. For instance if you amphib into Bari, with no enemy units there or in Taranto, the port does not shift to your control until you move to the land hex south of Bari and move back into the city. Ostia outside Rome acts the same way.

And I have seen Antwerp get taken by the Germans but then the port, in a subsequent turn switches back to the Allies when they move a unit adjacent to it, without re-taking the city.

[BillRunacre]

ORIGINAL: Leadwieght

There are a few port/city combos that on the map do not seem to quite follow the rules. For instance if you amphib into Bari, with no enemy units there or in Taranto, the port does not shift to your control until you move to the land hex south of Bari and move back into the city. Ostia outside Rome acts the same way.

And I have seen Antwerp get taken by the Germans but then the port, in a subsequent turn switches back to the Allies when they move a unit adjacent to it, without re-taking the city.

I think that what you've said about Antwerp makes sense, as the Port is adjacent (in hex terms) to both Antwerp and Ypres, and although the Port is called Antwerp, the engine doesn't tie the Port to its namesake on land.

Your Italian examples confused me slightly, but if you're referring to Taranto then it is the same as Antwerp as it is adjacent to both Taranto and Brindisi. At the scale the map was drawn at, avoiding this sort of situation is rather tricky without changing the geography much more than might be desirable.

[Hubert Cater]

ORIGINAL: Guderian1940

The town was in my control with a garrison when this happened. Was not able to embark and get away. However as mentioned the Convoy route changed from Narvik to Kristesand when the GE unit moved adjacent to the town/Port. The next turn with my garrison still there, convoy route changed back to Narvik and is staying there a couple of turns later. The German had eliminated the garrison during the turn and now GE occupies the town.

As mentioned might just be a unique glitch.

If the Port changed control then it would make sense for the Convoy route to then go back to Kristiansand if that was the previous default. However, in running a few tests, I am unable to repeat the Port control change unless the Allied unit is not actually within Kristiansand. Either way, I have amended the code so that even if there is no unit in Kristiansand, a unit would have to also capture that adjacent town before the Port control would change.

[Leadwieght]

Bill,
Re. my query on ports, I meant to say Brindisi, not Bari. I understand about ports like Antwerp and Taranto that are adjacent to 2 different cities. But I swear I have at times amphibbed into Brindisi and not had the port switch to my control automatically. I had to move to the hex to the south (on the "heel" of the Italian boot) and move back in to the city in order to gain control of the port.

I have also noticed from time to time that if you occupy a port-city and there is an enemy naval unit in the actual port, when the enemy unit is withdrawn, the port does not always seem to come under your control automatically. If you destroy the naval unit in the same turn, you will get control of the port, but if the enemy naval unit survives any attacks and then withdraws, you will not necessarily get control of the port just by virtue of having a unit in the port-city. Is this WAD?

LW

[Hubert Cater]

Hi LW,

I'm unable to repeat the initial issue with Brindisi, but I do see the problem with a naval unit that exits a port after you've captured the adjacent town. I'll look into this.

Hubert

[Leadwieght]

Thanks very much, Hubert! I too have not seen the Brindisi issue for a while,...but I swear I didn't imagine it!

One further wrinkle to the second issue: I had a case where I did an ampphib attack by a French unit into the hex next to Rome, thereby taking the port of Ostia. On subsequent turns I moved the French unit inland, and landed a British unit that stayed next to Ostia. When my opponent conquered France a few turns later, Ostia reverted to Axis control, I suppose because it was tagged as French-occupied from the initial landing and any occupied hexes of a conquered country revert to the conquering power , correct?

But then, despite having a British unit next to the port and no Axis unit on any hex adjacent to the port, (there was one in Rome itself, but that's not adjacent to Ostia), the port did not automatically come under my control. I had to move the British unit one hex north and then back before Ostia come under British control. Is this essentially the same issue or is Rome/Ostia some sot of special case?

As always, I am impressed by your responsiveness and attention to our nit-picks!

[Hubert Cater]

Hi LW,

I can confirm that with the next update (at least), and in a similar situation, Ostia will switch over to British control, but at the end of your turn if it hadn't done so by the beginning of your turn. Otherwise, moving it back and forth will also do the trick as you've described.

Hubert