The content of this article has been cut.The subject matter of this article was removed from the final version of an official / canonical source.
The Flocking Floater,[1] also known as Flocking Bloater,[2] is an alien enemy cut from Half-Life. It can be found in the game files.
Overview[]
Described as a "living balloon" with a faintly glowing head, it is held aloft by buoyant gases trapped in its head membrane. The wing on its rear portion is fully articulated like a bat wing, tipped with poisonous spines, and serves as a sail.[1]
Behavior and skills[]
It has feathery antennae, much like a moth (its only sensory organ), "tasting" air to look for group mates or food. Passive when not attacked, it was to use an orifice to shoot projectiles at the player with gas when attacked.[1]
Trivia[]
- In the file "bloater.cpp" in the Half-Life SDK there is coding for melee attacks, as well as sounds, using zombie sounds as placeholders.
- During one of the later stages of development of Half-Life, in a section of the chapter On A Rail, HECU soldiers were meant to be fighting a flock of Floaters instead of Vortigaunts.[3] They were also meant to be seen as Gordon drives the tram to the secondary tram lift.[4]
Gallery[]
Concept art.
"Floating Bloaters" in concept art for Xen.
The Flocking Floater in an early test map.
List of appearances[]
- Half-Life (First appearance) (Game files only) (Non-canonical appearance)
- Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar (Non-canonical appearance)
References[]
 Xen
| |
|---|---|
| Creatures | Alien Aircraft • Alien Controller • Alien Grunt • Archer (cut) • Armored Headcrab • Barnacle • Boid • Bullsquid • Charger (cut) • Chumtoad • Fast Headcrab • Fast Walker (cut) • Flocking Floater (cut) • Gargantua• Gonarch • Headcrab • Houndeye • Ichthyosaur • Kingpin (cut) • Leech • Lightning Dog • Mr. Friendly (cut) • Nihilanth • Panther Eye (cut) • Poison Headcrab • Protozoan • Prrobot (cut) • Quiver Creature (cut) • Sand Barnacle (cut) • Snapbug (cut) • Snark • Sphere (cut) • Standard Headcrab • Stukabat (cut) • Tentacle • Unidentified Quiver Creature (cut) • Vortigaunt • Zombie |
| Weapons | Black Hole Gun (cut) • Ceiling Turret • Grenade • Hivehand • Sentry Cannon • Snark • Snark Mine |
| Technology | Healing Shower • Thumper |
| Other | Crystal • Fungus • Healing Pool • Light Stalk • Trampoline • Tree |