 | For floaters as they appear in other Fallout games, see floater. |
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Floaters are unique mutants of unknown origins and known terrifying appearance.
Background
Edit
An offshoot of West Tek experiments on flatworms from 2075,[1] floaters are unique creatures that were widely deployed alongside Unity forces, together with centaurs. Following the death of the Master, floaters became ubiquitous in the Central Valley in New California, preying on unwary travelers entering the regions.[2] Fortunately, they are quite scarce elsewhere in the wasteland, apart from Appalachia.
CharacteristicsEdit
BiologyEdit
The floater is a large, soft-bodied invertebrate, named after the flotation sacs that allow it to hover in the air. Noxious, flammable gases are generated by the creature and stored in the flotation bladders, giving the creature its distinctive appearance and ability to hover. The sacs are of various sizes and dangle along the underside of the mouth. As the flotation gases are highly flammable, energy and flame weapons are notably effective and may cause the creatures to suddenly combust.[3]
The primary mouth comprises a majority of the top of the creature's disk-like "head." Surrounded by sharp teeth, the funnel-shaped aperture can be radially opened or closed. A long tentacle is able to rapidly protrude from the mouth, ending in a prehensile cross-shaped maw. When a floater attacks prey, the head lowers with the mouth pointing directly toward the target. Its tongue-like tentacle maw is abruptly launched forwards, spiraling through the air while grasping at the target. A smaller mouth, denoted the fore mouth, appears as a slit running from the bottom brim of the head into the gaping primary mouth.
Despite its awkward and uncoordinated appearance, floaters are remarkably fast. Aided by flotation sacs, the creature uses its flexible body and tail to slither and propel itself along the ground. At the base of the head, floaters have an ovipositor used to lay eggs, although only asexual reproduction was observed in the original FEV samples.[1]
In place of a brain, floaters have a rudimentary ganglion inside the bow of the head, similar to non-mutated flatworms. The pathways are sufficient for the creatures to recognize prey and members of its pack, but leave them unable to work in cohesion. Floaters often haphazardly swarm any target in sight, making them tenacious adversaries despite their relative simplicity.[4][5][3]
Gameplay attributesEdit
They are often found in groups with centaurs.
VariantsEdit
FloaterEdit
Floaters are durable creatures, and move very quickly due to their unique ability to hover. They often travel in groups with super mutants and centaurs, and can pose a great threat to anyone unprepared for combat.
| Name (Proto ID) | Statistics | DT/DR | Abilities | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Floater  00000045 |
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Floater  00000246 |
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Bloody floaterEdit
A floater that gorges on bodies, they are more aggressive and have slightly more health but other stats remain.
| Name (Proto ID) | Statistics | DT/DR | Abilities | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloody floater 00000167 |
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Nasty floaterEdit
If normal floaters are bad, then the nasty floaters are far worse. Even more durable and tenacious than their counterparts, they are indeed capable foes. Just like common floaters, they are very susceptible to fire, due to their flammable gasses.
| Name (Proto ID) | Statistics | DT/DR | Abilities | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasty floater 00000247 |
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AppearancesEdit
Floaters appear in Fallout and Fallout 2.
Behind the scenesEdit
Floaters are the creation of Jason D. Anderson. Notably, the creature was known as the "Sphincter Monster" during development after Anderson had used a pornographic image for its mouth.[6]
GalleryEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 FEV experiment disk
- ↑ World map encounters in Fallout 2.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Fallout 2 Official Strategies & Secrets p.26-27: "Floaters hover by, manufacturing and storing noxious gases in their flotation bladders. They're stupid, but move fast and are very difficult to kill. Floaters will try to surround you, so keep your distance. The gases that allow them to float turn them into a wonderful "flambé" when you crisp them with fire or energy weapons."
- ↑ Floater appearance and behavior in Fallout and Fallout 2.
- ↑ Fallout 2 combat description:
# Floater
#
{1230}{}{the head}
{1231}{}{the mouth}
{1232}{}{the fore mouth}
{1233}{}{the body}
{1234}{}{the float sac}
{1235}{}{the tail}
{1236}{}{the ganglion}
{1237}{}{the ovipositor}
{1238}{}{uncalled}"
(COMBAT.MSG (Fallout 2)) - ↑ Information acquired by Paweł "Ausir" Dembowski from Jason D. Anderson: "We called it the "Sphincter Monster" after I used a porn image for its mouth"
