Yes, that's my suspicion. Perhaps the general setting also stupidly counteracts the proper functioning of the assassin subclass mechanic. Did you test it?
I did. It didn't seem to have an effect, as I've said.
So far I'm sorta able to ambush guards, but only as an assassin, only with a ranged attack, only from stealth and ONLY with no heavy armor penalty (no idea how it correlates). Ambushing in melee seems outright impossible, even as an assassin. If ALL those boxes are checked, it magically skips the crime dialogue. Still no crit on the initial strike though.
Not to mention that ambushing as any other class I've tested doesn't seem to be possible at any normal circumstances.
It is all a big tragedy, really
