RimWorld Guide: Friendly Fire [2024, 1.5+]

[@AdamVsEverything]

EDIT: 1.5/Anomaly - Video is still correct, however they did fix the 'Door Exception' - Hooray! Have you ever completely killed one of your colonists from 'friendly' fire? I know I have.. You can now checkout all my guides (in video and written form), playthroughs, etc at: adamvseverything.com

[@PGMP2007]

MAN i LOVE YOU GUIDES - TYTYTY 🤩

[@livvylowe8066]

had a friendly fire incident between an anti material rifle and a colonists head... that was not pretty, I imagine

[@machematix]

My #1 doctor and only decent miner (+18 burning passion and +13bp), just went down instantly with a head shot. I cheated with dev tools to resurrect, because not even having a chance to save him felt wrong. Its the first playthrough I've got to a decent colony (killbox, two geothermals, so much excess food I've had to build a second freezer and 12 colonists so I send out caravans to trade it). I'm hoping I don't get hooked on the cheating, but I wasn't ready for a loss that great. Thanks (again?) for the excellent guides!

[@kaschey6145]

Wow, the safe range is much bigger than I expected. I thought it's safe to shoot only when other colonists are literally right next to the shooter.

[@AdamVsEverything]

Yeah, cramming 21 colonists in an area and them all being safe from friendly fire is pretty crazy.

[@solerdog2447]

Same here :D

[@frederickfugglesworth9877]

Same here... Did it ALWAYS work like this? Years back I swear it was only shooting over shoulders.

[@PatrickMartinez1]

Me too, where did we hear that?

[@SaneTrinity]

@Split Dimension in 1.1 it was 2 tiles for sure, i tested it back then. but nice to know they extended safe area now, i totally did not notice when they changed it.

[@MortalSmurph]

Several colonists were harmed in the making of this video.

[@whoeveriam0iam14222]

Their organs are now for sale so shush

[@AdamVsEverything]

Just wait until they see how many were harmed in the cheese video..

[@Proteomics]

Now I can stop shooting my own pawns in the back of the head!

[@AdamVsEverything]

Lol. That's the hope!

[@scotthughes626]

Critical information for new players. Thank you for making this! Its hard to find succinct and clear information for this game online. You are one of the few content creators I know of who helps provide great guides for Rimworld that are easy to digest!

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks! I am glad the guides have been helpful. Tons more coming this year!

[@LordLightborn]

Considering I've lost more pawns to friendly fire than enemies in my current playthrough, this is very helpful. Hopefully I can minimize carnage in the future.

[@AdamVsEverything]

Glad it helped! If you know anyone that plays RW definitely pass this one along. I went a very long time as a new player without knowing the specifics and it definitely cost me many ... many pawns. :P

[@HappyAspid]

Thanks for guide. I have noticed myself that when colonists bunch up together they usually do not shoot each other, but knowing ecactly why - is appteciated. Finally my sniper turret will stop braining the defenders.

[@BargB]

Omg I tought the range of friendly fire was 3 blocks, so I've been avoiding put a line of more than 3 pawns to avoid it. Thanks for the info!

[@AdamVsEverything]

No problem, glad it helped!

[@giin97]

Yeah, that's when the wiki says, no more than 3 deep to be safe. Interesting.

[@Traff92]

Makes me want to see you do a blindsight minigun only playthrough, bunch of blind guys spraying a wall of bullets at incoming threats.

[@AdamVsEverything]

Lol. I am currently doing a blindsight nudism run on stream, but no miniguns lol

[@Traff92]

@@AdamVsEverything counter offer, some mini guns? 😂

[@trishamiller7859]

Omg finally! Thanks for the tips on Friendly fire avoidance!

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching/commenting!

[@NLABRAiNiAC]

I kinda knew about the friendly fire range part but I had NO idea about the door part, which is where I get friendly fire incidents. I always just assumed that there was always a chance of friendly fire if the two pawns weren't right next to each other, but its interesting that its a specific feature? bug? Regardless, what do you suggest for infestations like the one in the video? Just stand back from the door? Tear down the door first?

[@AdamVsEverything]

In general you should be safe as long as no one is standing on the tile with the open door. So the three-wide melee block with a few columns of shooters behind them (like in the video) should still work just fine.

[@qamilas90]

Video idea: pawns perks tier list, sometimes i have problem with evaluate that pawn is worth to keep, that video could help :)

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks! I will add that to the list.

[@twoface9959]

This was very helpful. When I’m always moving my group of colonists, who are shooting on the move, or have melee opponents get behind the kill box line, or have melee colonists try to melee lock ranged opponents, they often tend to hit their fellow allies a lot.

[@AdamVsEverything]

Yep, for sure! Thanks for watching/commenting.

[@ichifish]

Great guide. I've always just gone with three columns of four, but this really puts specifics on it. Never knew about the door thing, either.

[@AdamVsEverything]

Well, now you know you can do 3 columns of 5 instead! And yeah, the door thing is important to know, especially during melee blocks. I've had it screw me over before.

[@MarieAxelsson]

I didn't know the specifics, but this is greatly detailed. Thank you!

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching!

[@MrACrazyHobo]

Wow that clears up ALOT

[@AdamVsEverything]

Awesome, thanks for watching!

[@kasperrolandpagh8162]

Great guide and great video :-) Thanks a bunch!

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching/commenting!

[@genericytprofile852]

Very good video. I've been playing for a while and I just found out about the door thing. Nice to have this info in a well made succinct video.

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks! Yeah, the door thing is weird and can lead to lots of trouble. I've shot my own colonists due to it a ton of times before I knew what was actually going on.

[@Nyliss]

This was very helpful! I had no idea the safe area was that big. Thank you!!

[@AdamVsEverything]

No problem, glad it helped!

[@Dezil]

These aren’t the funnest vids to make but you keep pumping them out, much appreciated my dude, quality stuff

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching!

[@mynoc1113]

thanks for the awesome vid Adam. iv herd you explain it before but seeing it makes a big difference

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks!

[@emaraldragon2000]

Great explanation for friendly fire thanks

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching!

[@pedepot]

So helpful! Thanks for these videos!

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching!

[@solerdog2447]

Great guides Adam :)

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching!

[@jiurik6392]

Trigger happy drunk man with no eyes immediately made me think of the bullet farmer from Mad Max: Fury Road lol

[@AdamVsEverything]

Lol

[@alyblut45]

it helps a lot, most of colonists deaths is by Friendly Fire (ff)

[@abrarnabil97]

well explained, thank you 🙏

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching!

[@wmtr76]

Gratuitous comment. Great content... keep it up!

[@AdamVsEverything]

Lol. Thanks!

[@Laternentaucher]

"It is just nice" - Adam.

[@AdamVsEverything]

Lol

[@MyFirstYoutubeHandle]

Amazingly useful guide once again, thank you Adam!

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching!

[@dertom545]

Wait a second.... wait for it.... NICE! 😀

[@AdamVsEverything]

Nice.

[@thechalkergaming2349]

Thanks a bunch mate, keep up the content

[@raiwenduravwin3166]

Wow, this is a great way to know how to just hit the enemy in the hurty spots! Unless you want to hit your friends too...

[@AdamVsEverything]

Lol. I generally don't advise hitting your friends in the hurty spots.

[@jan8140]

thanks

[@AdamVsEverything]

My pleasure!

[@ccon96]

Nice guide!

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks!

[@imbkjewelz]

Very informative video about friendly fire. :D

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching/commenting!

[@KingLoser4445]

Thanks!

[@AdamVsEverything]

My pleasure!

[@patostrophia2948]

Thank you very much for that Adam :)

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching!

[@firestorm5071]

i say thank you on behalf of all my pawns in the future that would have died to friendly fire without this video

[@corbinhansen4309]

This was very helpful, thanks!

[@AdamVsEverything]

Glad it helped!

[@bkm8707]

I'm watching this again, because despite 3000 hrs in Rimworld, I didn't know this. Also, algorithms like comments and thumbs, so there is that!

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks! I am at >3k also and still learn new stuff all the time.

[@hightreegarden]

Beautiful

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks!

[@leesnotbritish5386]

1:40 another way to remember is remember the movement on a knight and draw a with that

[@Jdemers17]

Thanks. I always thought u had to be directly behind the pawn to prevent friendly fire. I wonder if this applies to enemies withing 4 squares. Meaning if there were 2 enemies in close range and u fired at one with a mini gun would there be a 0 percent chance of hitting the second enemy.

[@AdamVsEverything]

That's a good question. Without testing I'd think that the missed shot could deal damage to the other enemy ... but I am not 100% sure so back to the lab for that one :P

[@areius001]

Great guide again!

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks!

[@khehu]

Thank you very much!

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching/commenting!

[@Narvre]

Comment for algorithm. Love your guides.

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks!

[@perpetuality1293]

Very useful, thanks

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching!

[@Alex-wh3zw]

The door exception is wild.

[@NaokiSMT]

Very nice

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks!

[@dañocerevral]

soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much thanks

[@AdamVsEverything]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching.

[@Danny93Robbo]

Thank you, now I can stop using the friendly fire mod which is a pain

[@AdamVsEverything]

Awesome, glad it helped!

[@1973anacryon]

Sweet !!!!

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching!

[@HansLemurson]

Another way to remember the mutual safe-fire formation: "Cut Corners for Safety"

[@AdamVsEverything]

Hey, it's the same thing I do on all my buildings in the early game! (Only not for safety :P)

[@andyakap00rleno]

Always shoot your own pawns, it builds character.

[@AdamVsEverything]

It also builds medical experience! ... and grave count.

[@ciaranmullen6779]

thank you for the usefull tip

[@AdamVsEverything]

Thanks for watching!

[@jonbob0008]

....................................................nice.

[@AdamVsEverything]

Nice............................

[@tiromaior8405]

The turret part was new to me.

[@AdamVsEverything]

Glad you found something useful!

[@ostal1]

Nice

[@AdamVsEverything]

Nice.

[@bugrilyus]

1:45 or just say make 5x5 square and remove corners

[@AdamVsEverything]

Yep! Lots of different ways to look at it. Whatever helps someone remember the most.

[@SaltyRocksPew]

Thanks I needed this after my shooting specialist accidentally blasted my mechanitors head off with an anti material rifle.

[@ErikGrindlay]

nice

[@AdamVsEverything]

Nice.

[@danban9305]

Quick q: Can colonists be hit by turrets within the safe wild dest misses? Because we see at 4:00 that "shots can land on and damage targets within the friendly fire range", against enemy targets which are too close to the friendly fire range.

[@potatoesstarch2376]

Very helpful. Hope this remains the same a year later, but that's not that much time, so I reckon so.

[@AdamVsEverything]

Nothing in this video has changed. I update titles of videos that are still relevant per patch/year. This one is still good in 1.4 / 2023

[@potatoesstarch2376]

@@AdamVsEverything Very cool.

[@JayBoatKing]

Way back pre-DLC era, I had a regular problem with slug turrets decapitating pawns standing in front of them. Has this been changed? Or do slug turrets follow different rules?

[@Jixxor]

Wow I wonder why I thought the safe range was just 2 tiles allowing for maximum of 3x3 pawn groups to stay safe. Has it ever been that way in the past or am I just completely off track lol

[@simonschulze2957]

Do you know if being downed reduces the chance of being hit? The other day I went through hell to save a pawn at 99% bloodloss and burning. My vampire dude just about stopped the bleeding in time, and then shot at a mechanoid in the distance. One bullet hit the downed pawn's hand, leading her to expire... I had figured the risk of friendly fire would be negligible as the pawn in the way was both downed and nowhere near the target, and the shooter was highly skilled with an AR.

[@csberserk]

The door thing finally solved a mistery of mine. Had a manhunting pack of beagles show up, my only good fighter defending the base with an ak and his wife with a revolver at the door 3 tiles behind him. One dog runs past him and attacks her, i tell him to target it. He just 180 headshot no scopes his wife in the process. I paused and just stared at the screen for a whole minute, like wtf. I did manage to make him revive her later with a resurrector but the whole colony still hated him (justifiably).

[@AdamVsEverything]

Yeah, it is a really weird and unintuitive mechanic. Glad this guide helped!

[@bugrilyus]

I read those wild dest pop ups as wild west as in the guy who is shooting is so inaccurate place turns into wild west. lol

[@AdamVsEverything]

Lol

[@mattpacheco7289]

Its always the stray bullet to the head, right through my cataphract helm. smh haha

[@AdamVsEverything]

Yeah, it always sucks. But hopefully you can avoid it more easily with this :P

[@koob2128]

I'm assuming this is the case but I thought I'd ask, does the FF protection area apply to turrets when being fired over by other turrets?

[@itsokiie]

wait... does this count for turrets? including autocannon turrets?

[@Vedurin]

Safe group described easier: 5 by 5 with corners removed.

[@taggartaa]

I am wondering what the safety range looks like for multi-tile cannons. Can they not hit anything in their no shoot zones? is it centered on a particular tile like their shooting radius?

[@alasdairsinclair916]

Anyone in a knight's move of the pawn is safe from everyone else within a knight's move of the pawn. Man, chess terms are kinda confusing here.

[@memelord1030]

big brain!

[@AdamVsEverything]

On way to galactic, hopefully

[@fleetadmiralj]

I wonder how people might deal with having snipers and this. Or is it just better to group people up and forgo having snipers? They do a butt ton of damage but I've shot off more than one of my colonists legs from my snipers, heh

[@foelsgaard_fg]

What If they move around inside the safe area?

[@AdamVsEverything]

That's fine, as long as they never move to or through one of the unsafe ones.

[@pineapplepizzasandwich1974]

What a strange mechanic.

[@jonesirbouer]

Me coming here after screwing up a run because my colonist shot my psylink 5 colonist in the brain 🙃

[@AdamVsEverything]

Ouch. Hopefully this helps for next time. Thanks for watching!

[@Fishman88924]

This is great! However, some modded weapons (VE coil guns) don't obey simple things like logic. I have had my person with a gauss magnum give my leader a brain injury hunting a squirrel

[@Inkboy1]

:)

[@AdamVsEverything]

Nice.

[@p_tassa]

D

[@AdamVsEverything]

Nice.

[@kilicmelik1982]

this is changed

[@AdamVsEverything]

No, it hasn't. Still works the same way in current RW patch.