Isolated Units Retreating to Safety?

[GeneralDad]

The public beta (v1.02.15) has a statement in the release notes: "AI – Improved AI to eliminate some cases of the German AI making an illegal move of an isolated unit to safety."

What does this mean? I have seen a case of a unit surrounded on 6 sides routing through the surrounding units all the way from Sicily to the Italian mainland. Is it intended that units be able to rout through attacking units?

The 1st Fallshrimjaeger div and 54th 'Napoli' Italian division appear to have escaped from a trap mostly intact based on their equipment showing in a mouse over.

What is the game's intent for rout or retreat of surrounded units?

Thanks,
GeneralDad

[Joel Billings]

The units must be isolated for a complete game turn in order to surrender and be destroyed. This is due to the 1 week length of the turns. A unit that has not been isolated that is cut off during the enemy turn and has no where to retreat will rout instead of being destroyed. You must cut off the unit and then keep it cut off through the next turn before you can destroy it with an attack. If you attack it in the same turn that you cut it off, it's assumed that some of the unit could have gotten out before the unit was trapped.

[GeneralDad]

Thanks, that explains the mechanic and the reasoning behind it.

GeneralDad

[Searry]

BTW Mr. Billings, I hope this sort of routing gets looked at in WITE2 as divisions usually retain large amounts of heavy equipment after being cut off and routed. You'd think they would abandon most heavy weapons at least.