Ambush in this game does not work like an ambush. It works more like a chance shoot when an opportune moment arises. This would also explain why the shooter suffers a penalty to his shot, since he needs to shoot suddenly at a target that comes into view, unlike an ambush which is where the shooter should be calm and ready to take a shot at a `prepared` or unsuspecting target. Neither should an ambush shot suffer a penalty if it really was an ambush.

In fact, the real ambush, in this game,or surprise attack happens at the very start of a battle, if you get a shot off first, say with the Sniper.

So it should be renamed to Opportunity.

Perhaps you would be interested in this topic: http://www.gog.com/forum/wasteland_series/wl2_this_game_has_no_tactical_depth_whatsoever

You are on to something. This kind of out-of-turn shooting is often called 'opportunity fire' in tabletop wargaming rulesets.

Storytelling-wise, the word "ambush" makes perfect sense and the developers were wise to choose it. Yes, it is the same concept that is often called "opportunity fire" (or "overwatch" or "watch", etc.) in many other games. Calling it "ambush" in this one just increases the gritty, old West feel to the game.

No it doesn`t. Opportunity fire is a good term to use as well.

Well, you won't hear the phrase "firing at targets of opportunity" in Gunsmoke or Maverick or Wagon Train. But you will hear the terms "ambush" and "bushwhack". And this is for the same good reason as you will not hear that term in Wasteland: they are trying to tell an atmospheric story and it would not fit the milieu.

Apparently some nerds want technical descriptions and some nerds want a gritty, cowboy noir atmosphere. To each his own.

Seems pretty vague to me. I think the name should reflect the game mechanic first and foremost. Add 'snapfire' to the list of more descriptive names. Even in the classic westerns the word ambush was used to describe something very unlike the ambush mechanic. More telling, the new perks for sniper rifles are called 'watchman' and actually make the mechanic even more 'overwatch'-like.

Still, the word ambush is as commonly misused as the terms 'sniper', 'hacker', 'turbo' and 'decimate' in all forms of media. Sometimes you just have to concede defeat and move on.

I still think Jagged Alliance 2 has the best take on the mechanic: if your character still has action points remaining, it is possible that he will earn an 'interrupt' if the enemy moves into his line of sight where he gets to spend his points before the enemy finishes his move. That is the purpose of the mechanic in wasteland 2 anyways: provide out of turn shooting so that melee enemies can't dash from far away and round a corner in plain view unopposed.

There, another suggestion: call it 'defensive fire'.

'Guard', 'Reaction fire', 'Covering fire', anything. If I saw any of these, I would assume it's a form of overwatch and they would work with the theme. When I saw 'Ambush' what I presumed it'll do is to put the selected group member into some sort of stealth mode.

Yes I'm absolutely lying, the first thing I thought of when seeing the word 'ambush' was clearly "Hey, overwatch!" :-P Seriously, neither the icon nor the hover-over text does much to explain what does the button do. It's an extremely minor complaint as all I needed to do to figure it out was to click it, but I can't really say the game did a good job of explaining itself.

Then I must be pretty smart. Go me!

Can't say it fooled me either, though I think the name implies a to-hit or damage bonus since it alludes to pre-planning and surprise. Was surprised to learn that it is just one attack with a to-hit PENALTY.

That reminds me, I wish this game had out-of-combat penalties or bonuses to show the effect of catching your enemies unprepared in the first turn of combat. It would gel very nicely with some of the new character traits. I feel that much of the combat is triggered by the enemy or that you can't position your team for devastating first turn volleys. I like the feeling of gettimg the drop on people. Instead many fights follow the same tedium of swarming bullet sponge enemies rushing about and your team haphazardly getting stuck in. I want aggression and cunning violence to pay off differently, with a sense that your decisiveness actually gives you the initiative.