This page is about the mutant creature that appears in Fallout and Fallout 2. For the cut content creature that appears in the game files of Fallout: New Vegas, see floater.
A likely 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.
The floater is a large, soft-bodied invertebrate, named after the flotation sacs (frequently abbreviated to just float sac) that, contrary to its name, allows it to hover in the air. Noxious, flammable gases are generated by the creature's tissues, then stored in these large bladders, giving it its distinctive appearance. The sacs surround a mouth, which contains a tentacle terminating in a primitive, cross-shaped maw. When the floater attacks its prey, the maw is launched forwards, spiraling through the air and attempting to bite down on the target. Despite its ungainly appearance, the floater is fast, using its flexible tail to slither along the ground. Finally, they are oviparous, equipped with an ovipositor to lay eggs. Fortunately, floaters lack any meaningful intelligence: Their rudimentary ganglia are enough for them to recognize prey and members of its pack, but they are unable to work together as a pack, simply swarming whatever target they come across. However, that simplicity also makes them tenacious and difficult to put down. Their one disadvantage is that the flotation gases are flammable, making energy and flame weapons highly effective against these combustible creatures.[3][4][5]
Characteristics[]
Despite its appearance, the floater is fast, mean, and aggressive. It's very easy to become surrounded by these abominations and fall prey to their attacks. Keeping distance and terminating with extreme prejudice is the recommended course of action.
I think Floaters are cool critters in the Fallout universe, but, like Centaurs, they have really weird bodies that require unique animation rigs. From an animation perspective, limbless flying things tend to be really cheap (usually), human-like bipeds are cheap, quadrupeds aren’t too bad. Once you start getting into creatures with multiple heads, snake bodies, tentacles, etc., they get really expensive.
IIRC, we talked about having Floaters but we just didn’t have the animation time for them.
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]
↑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."