Soooo...With the Aserai this game (1.6.0). Fairly early in the game (just joined them a week or two ago). Just started a war with the Southern Empire. Watched them start an army of over 1700 in the middle of Aserai territory. Slow as Hell of course, so I go to Husn Fulq, do a tourney & a couple other things, then go out and pick them up just approaching Southern Empire Territory. They take a detour to Husn Fulq which I assume is to stock up on food, although they aren't yet losing troops. I watch the messages above Husn Fulq and it tells me all the lords recruiting troops & donating them to the town. OK, seems good, the town isn't heavily stocked with defenders. Then they leave the town. Within 10 seconds they start losing troops. HUH? You were running out of food, you just visited a town and you didn't buy any???? I know there was about 400 grain there because I bought about 15-20 grain myself. Also, as I watch they pass Shibal Zumr, a grain village, without stopping and continue to lose troops. I know they are lost because of food, because I see the wounded within the army steadily rising as they continue losing troops.
After typing the above I went back and checked...Husn Fulq only has 35 grain left, so I suppose its possible they bought the grain, but if they did, why are they out of food as soon as they leave the town? 400 food won't last real long for an army of 1700, but it won't disappear in an hour either. Also, I checked Shibal Zumr and it has 125 grain in it. I know it isn't desertion because of lack of pay because 1) we aren't paying any tributes or merc wages and 2) the troops are not disappearing, they are moving to wounded.
I want to ask the Devs why the armies start so far from the front lines and usually wait until they are full so they are passed by snails as they move across the country. I also want to know why they don't provide basic food logic to the lords. Many times I've started an army & by the time the lords reach me they have 0 active troops because they ran out of food on the way to meet me & didn't bother looking for any. One time I had at least 5 lords arrive at my army with 0 troops.
(Edit) So I watched them go to besiege Danustica. Once they started the siege the number of active troops started raising again. I mean...it makes sense that the army commander would say 'We're low on food. No one gets to eat until we start the siege.' But I can't believe its actually programmed that way.