Okay, have searched and not found how do you escort a settler?

[mwwilliams]

I know I should know this but I don't!

 

[Panda_Power]

There are no special buttons or anything, you just send a unit with them in case they meet a barbarian along the way.

 

[mwwilliams]

Why do the AI's always seem to be in lock step? I thought there was a special link key! Thanks!

 

[Panda_Power]

I guess because units and settlers can share the same tile it always looks like they are locked together, but it's just the way the AI does it. You can do that too, but there's no special button for it. I always just make sure there's at least a unit nearby in case something happens.

 

[Nocturno14]

Panda said it all

 

[Civsassin]

If you start the settler and combatant on the same tile, and right click on the same square you want them to move to, they will both take the same path in lock step.

 

[Zechnophobe]

If you start the settler and combatant on the same tile, and right click on the same square you want them to move to, they will both take the same path in lock step.

Unless an Automated worker steps in between them, or another unit on a goto. Or a neutral unit in some cases. Or any unit you manually move that blocks one of them, but not the other.

 

[Hormagaunt]

If you start the settler and combatant on the same tile, and right click on the same square you want them to move to, they will both take the same path in lock step.

Unfortunately not true. I've started units from the same square, and then watched them take different paths to get to the target. And if the escorting unit is a different speed than the settler, you've lost coordination instantly.

I simply move them manually each turn.

 

[draaibaar]

settler and warrior can take different routes cause the warrior will choose a route with the best defence options, while the settler doesn't care.

 

[stormerne]

There's a nasty wrinkle to this...

When escorting a settler across land, you can put your military unit on the same tile (like others have said) and just march them together to your destination. Even a warrior will usually do the job early on.

When escorting a settler across the sea to settle a new island or continent, you can't do that. Provided you have the technology (Optics for coastal water, Astronomy for ocean), your settler can take to water by jumping off the nearest coastline, and you can escort it with a ship from your navy. BUT... guess what... they can't occupy the same tile on the sea. Don't ask me why, they just can't. Keeping a settler escorted safely at sea can be a nightmare if you have enemies or raging oceangoing barbs. For a 100% reliable escort from ranged attack you have to have a thick ring of escorting ships. This is never practicable so there'll always be some element of risk.

 

[Civsassin]

It would take a bit more micromanagement, but it could certainly be done.

 

[Vordeo]

When escorting a settler across the sea to settle a new island or continent, you can't do that. Provided you have the technology (Optics for coastal water, Astronomy for ocean), your settler can take to water by jumping off the nearest coastline, and you can escort it with a ship from your navy. BUT... guess what... they can't occupy the same tile on the sea. Don't ask me why, they just can't. Keeping a settler escorted safely at sea can be a nightmare if you have enemies or raging oceangoing barbs. For a 100% reliable escort from ranged attack you have to have a thick ring of escorting ships. This is never practicable so there'll always be some element of risk.

Yeah, IMO that really needs to be changed. Military units can escort civilian units, so why can't naval units escort civilian units (which is basically what embarked units are).

 

[Silvis]

There's a nasty wrinkle to this...

When escorting a settler across land, you can put your military unit on the same tile (like others have said) and just march them together to your destination. Even a warrior will usually do the job early on.

When escorting a settler across the sea to settle a new island or continent, you can't do that. Provided you have the technology (Optics for coastal water, Astronomy for ocean), your settler can take to water by jumping off the nearest coastline, and you can escort it with a ship from your navy. BUT... guess what... they can't occupy the same tile on the sea. Don't ask me why, they just can't. Keeping a settler escorted safely at sea can be a nightmare if you have enemies or raging oceangoing barbs. For a 100% reliable escort from ranged attack you have to have a thick ring of escorting ships. This is never practicable so there'll always be some element of risk.

I do find escorting settlers across oceans very enjoyable since you don't know when the Naval unit with 50 movement is going to drop in a take it from the shadows lol. Destroyers are amazing

 

[Mercade]

Yeah, IMO that really needs to be changed. Military units can escort civilian units, so why can't naval units escort civilian units (which is basically what embarked units are).

This.

 

[Ahriman]

This.

Its particularly weird when they said before release that you'd be able to stack a warship with a transport.
Was very surprised to find that you couldn't do this in the main release.

My guess is that they had trouble getting the AI to do it right, so blocked the human player too.