>>96544263
>Those are not 10 foot square scale maps.
That's true. We could have been clearer. But I was responding to your intend to treat a maze as a point crawl which is different the to what the DW hexmap does.

>>96545932
I'd check surprise only if the defensive side trusts the other enough to not have their guard up for some reason and give a bonus or penalty based on that trust.

>Players parley with orcs first time ever seeing asking for for safe passage
Orcs don't trust them at all and no surprise roll
>Players parley with orcs for safe passage after a months long mutual relationship
Surprise roll at no bonus or penalty
>Lawful players approach a lawful guard tower whom they've had positive dealings with previously
Surprise roll with bonus
>Chaotic party approach Lawful guard tower that suspects they've had been sneaking contraband past for months but never been caught in the act of doing
Penalised surprise roll

Failing to surprise and losing initiative means you get your weapons up or out of their holsters but no further before the other reacts.