Common Misconceptions

	Data is potentially outdated
	Last updated for version 1.0.8.0 The current game version is 1.4.5.0

This is a collection of myths and misconceptions commonly passed along from player to player. Some of these are based on now-fixed bugs and changed game mechanics, the tale outliving its origin. Others stem from players misunderstanding game mechanics in Barotrauma or assuming their similarity to mechanics from other video games or real life. Others still are simply examples of confirmation bias and various fallacies around the nature of random chance and probability. Some may even be the result of malicious players, seeking to misguide their crews.

Poisons Inside Railgun Shells Poison Targets

FALSE

While Railgun Shells "use" the contained item, they do not apply medical items to creatures they hit. Presumably due to not setting a target for the contained item.

Uranium Inside Railgun Shells Affects Damage

FALSE

Uranium cannot be used (no "onuse" XML-entry), and as such will simply vanish as the railgun shell despawns.

Fuel Rods, while they can be "used", do not affect damage either. Using a fuel rod will spawn a "nucleargunbolt" (the projectile of the Rapid Fissile Accelerator), but testing shows that this projectile will not work when the fuel rod is used in a railgun shell's impact.

Leaving Lights On Attracts Creatures

PARTIALLY TRUE

The sight of creatures has little to do with what players see. Creatures are attracted to designated AI targets – most sources of player-visible light are no such target.

Flashlights are a noteworthy exception, being visible to creatures beyond the range at which they see a human Diver.

Another exception are turrets. The light of a submarine's turrets does attract creatures, while, curiously, searchlights do not. According to testing, this range exceeds the range at which creatures can see the rest of the submarine.

Active Machinery Attracts Creatures

PARTIALLY TRUE

Much like with light, the hearing of Creatures has little to do with sounds a player may hear. Devices such as Electrical Discharge Coils, Fabricators, or Oxygen Generators do not make creature-audible noise, despite being quite noticeable to players.

Notable sources of noise include the sub's Engine (scaling with thrust, 50m/60m/70m for shuttle/normal/large at max thrust), Reactor (scaling with output, 40m at max for a normal submarine reactor), active Sonar (base range 80m, and directional in case of directional use), and firing Turrets (80m, except the Railgun, which has 100m base range).

Additionally, sources of noise a diver may create include an active Underwater Scooter (base range 30m), gunfire (40m or 50m, depending on the gun, 5m for most non-firearms), an active Handheld Sonar (base range 60m, and directional in case of directional use), or simply movement (base range depending on movement speed). An active Sonar Beacon is incredibly audible to creatures, even beyond the range of sonar (500m base range).

Directional Sonar Is Useless

FALSE

Switching any sonar to directional will make it generate noise only in the cone the directional sonar covers. This can be observed via enabling debug info, and testing confirms this is indeed accurate. Creatures outside the cone will not hear the sonar, and passive sonar will reveal objects inside the cone for a short while after the ping.

Beacons May Break Down After Activating Them

FALSE

Since the Rising Tide update, Beacon Stations will no longer break down once successfully activated. As such, it is not necessary to fix flooding or keep monsters away from the beacon. Beacons' reactors also do not consume any fuel, so running out of fuel is no concern either.

Once active, the only thing that can deactivate a beacon is player-intervention: Turning the sonar or reactor off, removing all fuel rods, or unwiring the sonar.

Fresh Husks Can Revive If Not Beheaded

PARTIALLY TRUE

While normal Husks are generally easy to kill, a freshly Husked Human inherits a peculiarity of Humans in general: Dropping below 0 vitality only incapacitates, but does not kill. This, combined with the natural healing all husks possess, allows a human husk to "revive" after being downed. However, preventing such a "revival" does not require chopping off limbs. It is entirely sufficient to deplete the "second health-bar", as on humans under other circumstances. Once truly dead, the health bar above the husk will disappear.

The myth likely stems from the fact that living humans, and "living" human husks cannot have their limbs severed. As such, once you sever any limb you can be sure your enemy is indeed dead.

Reactors Consume Fuel At Friendly Outposts

FALSE

Nuclear Reactors of player-owned submarines are coded to not consume fuel rods while docked at a friendly outpost. This feature was added in commit 39be7f9 (date of commit 2022/03/10).

They do still consume fuel at abandoned outposts.