Starting combat distance is the initial range between the combatants, when the combat encounter starts.
It is determined randomly, and based on the type of the hex the fight is taking place on. The only way of influencing this distance is, passively, by the means of ambush. Ambush happens when a NPC enters the hex already occupied by the player's character, without being aware of his presence.
Base ranges
Base starting range is determined by the hex type.
Natural:
- Plain: 20 - 30
- Marshland: 3 - 10
- Lake: 15 - 30
- Forest: 3 - 5
- Forest shack: 3 - 5
- Hills: 3 -10
- Hills w/spring: 3 - 10
Urban:
- Sub-urban ruins (trailers): 4 - 15
- Urban ruins (high-rise buildings): 3 - 15
- Urban ruins (abandoned homes): 3 - 6
- Rubble: 3-6
- Tent city (Sprawl): 3 - 6
- Black Swamp: 3 - 8
Special:
- Cryo Facility: 3 - 10
- ZomZom's: 3 - 6
- Strange Forest: 3 - 5
- Isotope Mine: 3 - 10
- Allegan Fairgrounds: 4 - 15
- Saginaw Mental Institute: 3 - 6
- Camp Grayling: 3 - 15
Ambush
Ambush is a special-situation encounter type, which happens whenever an unaware NPC enters the hex occupied by the player's character. The NPC needs to be visible to the PC beforehand (so player cannot ambush the NPCs while asleep or blind, for example). This happens particularly often if the character is located in a low-visibility situation (during twilight time, on rubble or wooded hexes) where the character can see surrounding hexes while still staying hidden himself.
Players can raise the chances of ambush happening, by using the "Hide" option, especially if possessing the Hiding ability.
If the ambush is triggered, player can choose to either engage from afar or up close. Choosing to ambush from afar will cause the battle to start on maximal distance. Option to attack up close, will narrow the initial distance between the combatants to 10% of the normal base starting distance.