Stalgrad's post had some interesting points about the RPG factor of ambush.
However, this game being what it is, we cannot possibly count every single
possible RPG factor in to every single possible aspect of the game. What we
_can_ do is set things up for game balance. For example, in regards to ambush:
-- there is a dex check, as being agile and fleet of foot should help you
escape ambushes. Stalgrad has a dex of 42, which is marginally better than
"arthritic old man".
-- there is an intelligence check, as having a high intelligence makes you a
quick learner, and quick thinkers react better in surprise situations.
Stalgrad's intelligence is 44, roughly equivilent to "stereotypical high
school dropout".
-- there is a skill check, the skill "alterness" is for players who are
specifically train about avoiding ambushes. Stalgrad is a reaver, he hasn't
got any alertness skill.
-- there is a party check. Stalgrad, I'm guessing you were alone.
-- there is a mount check. As a reaver, Stalgrad was almost certainly on foot.
-- there is a guest check. Stalgrad is not a guest.
-- in a relatively recent addition, for RPG purposes, there _is_ a size check.
It was there to keep huge giants from being ambushed by tiny, tiny insects.
While Stalgrad is a demon, at level 30, he's not a huge demon. And the
creatures in the newbie mine, while admittedly small, don't qualify as "tiny
tiny" or else they'd be worth next to 0 exp.

Now what we have here is a case of a character that was simply not built to
avoid ambushes. Rangers, crimsons, and, yes, mages are better at that sort of
thing. A level 30 reaver simply isn't. If we make ambush work in such a way
that someone who is, to put it bluntly, a big slow stupid target on foot, can
_still_ walk away from monsters lurking in a tunnel just waiting for a newbie
to pop by, then we may as well remove it altogehter. The result? Killing
monsters and exploring areas becomes essentially risk-free. And exp would
_have_ to be reduced to compensate. None of us want that, not even Stalgrad.

Should the average human be able to walk away from an aggravated butterfly
without issue? Possibly. But the average human won't lose half his health in a
fight with a frog or a bunny, either. Newbies have a tendency to do that. In
order to make the game work, sometimes some things people call "realistic"
have to be sacrificed. It's impossible to code everything 100% realistic, and
we don't want a game with no challenge. It wouldn't be fun.

Shinarae Lluminus

P.S. Any references like "Stalgrad is stupid" refer to his level 30 demon
_character_, not the human at the keyboard.