Conquering a territory sometimes causes all enemy units to die and sometimes doesnt.

[timariot]

As per title, at the start of the game i like to conquer my immediate neighbours. I usually rush the capital and ignore any surrounding enemy troops as usually once the capital is taken the rest of the units just die or dissapear. However, this doesnt always happens and sometimes im left having to mop up the remainder troops. Why? Why is it sometime the entire zone and their troops capitulate and other times, their troops remain?

[zgrssd]

Despawn seems to be more likely, if there is still a connection between the remaining units and the city. So not quite a complete surround.

[Jdane]

I've been wondering if minor regime follow different rules once their capital is taken, depending on their culture. But I lack solid evidence.
In my current game, farmer regime militias disbanded the turn after the capital was taken, twice. First time surprised me as I was prepared to mop up the remnants of their forces, only to see them disappear on their own.

[Jorge_Stanbury]

also in my very limited game experience, the less aggressive type of enemies, farmers for example, will have a higher probability of mass surrendering, while raiders stay often

[border10]

In my last game, 4 of 6 farmers disbanded the turn after the city was taken. To determine if it is a matter of percent of their zone hexes taken, I loaded a save and first took a large majority of their hexes but I got the same result...the two that did not disband still did not disband.

[Saros]

It's simply that the zone associated with the city is swept up and all the units deleted/the territory handed over. However if you have cut the zone off from the city it forms a new zone and is not caught by this sweep.

Basically never completely cut a minor city off from its zone before conquering it.

[border10]

Do you mean that if I don't completely encircle a city, attack it and force retreat out of the city and then march in, the zone should be cleared of those enemy units?

[Jdane]

In both instances I saw that happen, that's indeed what I did. And I only had taken control of very few hexes from the minor regimes' territories beforehand.

[zgrssd]

ORIGINAL: border10

Do you mean that if I don't completely encircle a city, attack it and force retreat out of the city and then march in, the zone should be cleared of those enemy units?

The City must still be connected to the rest of their territory, of course. Just leaving 1 hex empty maters not, if they are otherwise cut off.
But yes, this does seem to make mass surender more likely.

[Zyphtan]

It seems some types dont even have cities like slavers. They get supplies by making slaves of free folk settlements. Capturing a city that is connected to a zone still usually gives you the entire zone and kills the units in my experience. I have usually only attacked on 3 fronts as that was all I needed to easily overpower them.