Enemy defence

[funxus]

How come I can see one defensive unit in some enemy cities and not in others. What triggers this? I wondered this for some time, but haven't discovered what these cities have in common.
Sometimes it's no city of a civ, sometimes almost all cities and sometimes just one.

 

[Ren]

I don't understand, are you thinking that there's a constant reason for the number of garrisons in a city? Maybe their units are off somewhere, or they don't have the shields or money available...[?]

 

[Duke of Marlbrough]

I think he means when you can right-click on a city and see that there is a unit in it, but you right-click on a different city and it doesn't show you want one of the units inside the city is.

Off the top of my head I woudl say that it happens after you exchange maps with the AI. You can see where all of their units are, in addition ot one of their units in each city. As long as that unit doesn't move, it will stay 'seen' by you. Once it moves, even out of the city and back in, it is no longer 'seen'.

 

[Old n Slow]

Once an ai founds a new city, I sometimes see no defender until maybe a turn or so later, so your observation mat also be a new city effect. Then of course, there is the “somebody fought & won (but couldn’t move in) and died in the counter attack effect”.

 

[funxus]

Off the top of my head I woudl say that it happens after you exchange maps with the AI. You can see where all of their units are, in addition ot one of their units in each city. As long as that unit doesn't move, it will stay 'seen' by you. Once it moves, even out of the city and back in, it is no longer 'seen'.

That's probably it, since I know I've switched maps with all of the civs I've been able to do this with.
Thanks

 

[ElephantU]

Note that seeing only one does not guarantee that there is only one... only a Dip/Spy can give you the full garrison.