Guide of how to not kill your team by friendly fire.

[RadiantFlash]

This is the guide, how to not kill your team by friendly fire. (AKA, You've been lied too.)
Everyone, has likely be been told not to aim for the head, aim for the chest! This is because, huggers tear off helmets, and bullets hitting unarmored heads are bad. Not only from the brute, but breaking the head bones, means lots of brain damage, and blindness tends to occur EXTREMELY rapidly after.

While this is true, When you've been told, aiming for the chest is better!, You've been lied too.
More on that later though. To the basics!

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So the Four Rules to minimize damage to friendlies are pretty simple.
1) Show some bloody restraint! You're shooting a gun, don't shoot if your marine buddy is likely going to be in the way, because he will also likely be shooting, and killing whatever your shooting at. His bullets, are just as good as yours, only yours will be much more harmful, then beneficial.
2)Expect people to act like idiots. Sure, not every marine is an idiot. But that doesn't stop the majority of them, from running into your gunfire, when your clearly shooting in a firing lane, non-stop. So becareful of them darting in front, because it will likely happen. The only thing, you can do, is simply stop firing, since you expected it.
3)Do NOT USE BURST FIRE ANYWHERE BEHIND PEOPLE. It doesn't matter, whether there a tile to the side or not, Burst fire bullets go everywhere, and you'll end up gunning EVERONE down, just trying to fire in a straight line, when semiauto would have been much better.
4)Don't aim for the chest. You may be asking, "WHAT? If I don't aim for the head, because thats a horrible idea, I HAVE to aim at the chest, because it's armored and a better hit chance and stuff."

While that is true. chest armor is good, it doesn't actually have much of a better hit chance to xenos. It's basically the same for xenos all across the body.

Aiming for the head may blind people, But It won't always kill them... If they get there broken helmet on, and they're lucky. However, Aiming for the CHEST is WORSE then aiming for the head. While your armor may soften and absorb the blow based on chance, it will often NOT.

This causes your Ribs to BREAK. Movement with Broken ribs causes organ damage. And "What organs are in the thoracic(Chest) cavity you ask?" The lungs, and the heart. These two organs, are singlehandedly, the most responsible for the death of (Stastics pending, but the number is high)% of injured marines, by friendly fire. Heart damage especially, causes you to become feint, and woosey, and will make you collapse after only 3-4 points of damage. It will cause you sufficate, until you die.

Medics, of course, can treat this, with Dex+. But that doesn't last. it only removes what you have, and then your oxy damagecontinues to build.

So, you may asking, "WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR GOD DAMN POINT? If aiming for the chest, is just as bad as the head, I'm fucked either way, right?"

That is where you are wrong. You can aim, for the groin. Now, you're probably acting all insulted, and making jokes about broken dicks, etc, etc...
However, see the logic behind it. The AbdominoPelvic Cavity (groin) has the Appendics, the kidneys and the liver. All three of these, when damaged, cause toxins build up.
You know what is FAR more easily treated, then oxyloss? Toxins damage. You can continue fighting for longer, No risk of passing out, and no immideate risk of death.
Sure, the eventual toxins build up will be lethal. But it's easily treated by medics, in comparrison to oxy damage, and won't kill you right off. You can also stay awake, and live longer, due to your character throwing up, and removing some toxins damage that way.

Congradulations! You've finished this not very informative, and partly insane/ranting guide, on how to avoid friendly fire! Get out there, and try to avoid killing your entire team, would you?

[Durper]

It's hard to read those colored text but I guess good guide?

Still aiming for the chest though because it makes more sense.

[Egorkor]

You've just been explained why aiming for the chest makes no sense, though.
Aiming for the groin also gives you a small buff to chance of hitting the target, afaik.

[forwardslashN]

It seems a little meta to aim for the groin to me. Best way to avoid friendly fire is fire lanes, communication, and actually staying together.

[Seehund]

It seems a little meta to aim for the groin to me. Best way to avoid friendly fire is fire lanes, communication, and actually staying together.

This. I'll die of oxygen damage before I stop aiming for the center of mass.

[RadiantFlash]

This. I'll die of oxygen damage before I stop aiming for the center of mass.

It's more a byond limitation. It doesn't really represent the abdomin, and puts the abdomin targetting, in the groin, rather then it's own seperate target zone. The center of mass, is the lower chest, upper abdomin. So meh, still kinda aiming for the center of mass.

[Stivan34]

Aiming for legs does the same damage for xenos?

[Davidchan]

I'm not 100% if marine armor covers the 'groin' area of the body. But, xenos take the same damage no matter where you shoot them, aim anywhere but the fucking head.

[Egorkor]

it does.