provinces lost before you can take over

[carburo]

I'm having a problem with ceded provinces. Several times I have gotten a province through a treaty only to lose it right away because an enemy unit was sitting just there the turn I got it. And because you get the province without garrison... That's very very frustrating, and there's nothing I can do to prevent it. Is it much to ask that ceded provinces come with a militia unit as garrison?

[Treefrog]

Happened to me too.

I note that the surrender takes place at least two months in advance of the province changing color (one month to circulate treaty for ratification, the next month it takes effect).

During the month I impose the surrender terms I dispatch the garrison (as part of a corps) to occupy the province. That way my new garrison arrives while the garrison of the former ruler still holds the town.

In the turn the color changes to mine, before anybody moves I reassign the garrision from the corps to the town. voila !!

[carburo]

ORIGINAL: Treefrog

Happened to me too.

I note that the surrender takes place at least two months in advance of the province changing color (one month to circulate treaty for ratification, the next month it takes effect).

During the month I impose the surrender terms I dispatch the garrison (as part of a corps) to occupy the province. That way my new garrison arrives while the garrison of the former ruler still holds the town.

In the turn the color changes to mine, before anybody moves I reassign the garrision from the corps to the town. voila !!

Well, I can try that. Thanks. But I'd have to violate their territory to get there, as my guys got kicked out when the negotiations begun.
I still think getting the province + a militia would be an easy way to solve it. I should of course pay for the garrison.

[jimwinsor]

Actually I think this is a great way to discourage the cherry-picking of far flung provinces as peace terms, that are difficult for you to defend properly. A good thing IMO.

[carburo]

ORIGINAL: jimwinsor

Actually I think this is a great way to discourage the cherry-picking of far flung provinces as peace terms, that are difficult for you to defend properly. A good thing IMO.

If you ask for a province that is far away and disconnected from your other territories, a single militia won't hold for long if attacked, but it could help prevent losing the province in the same turn you get it.
An example from my current game. I (France) was at war with, among others, Austria and Russia. Austria surrendered and I asked for Tyrolia, which I had occupied. When they surrendered, my guys were teleported to Switzerland, but as usual there was the odd cossack roaming the countryside. When I was "transferred" the province, the Cossack just happened to be there and voila, I got a Russian instead of a French Tyrolia. Not even Russian-occupied French Tyrolia, but solid green Russian. Then I had to lay siege to the lone Cossack garrison to... occupy the province. I had to go all the way up to Moscow to force the Tzar to give me back my province.

[jimwinsor]

Boy that sucks. I kinda recall that happening to me too...its probably a bug that it went Russian conquered rather than occupied...but oh well.

You know, you can always set the month of transfer farther back in designing the treaty, if you think there will be a delay getting a garrision there.

[Mr. Z]

Boy that sucks. I kinda recall that happening to me too...its probably a bug that it went Russian conquered rather than occupied...but oh well.

No, if there are no units and no garrison, then conquest is immediate.

[malthaussen]

Yep, same thing happened to me. Those roaming cossacks can be a real bore.

In one recent game, one of my diplomats caused a coup in Bavaria. Unfortunately, that meant I received Berg, Cleves, and the Palatinate as well -- none of which I could reach with units without violating neutrality. The funny part was, I tried several land deals with my neighbors to dump the indefensible provinces and get ones closer to home, and nobody wanted to trade. Frustrating, but fortunately the AI didn't attack them before I ended the game.

-- Mal