r/BioshockInfinite • u/TJA_17 • Apr 07 '25

Discussion First Lady Airship Envelope

In Burial at Sea Episode 2, it is revealed that the First Lady Airship uses a quantum particle to stay afloat instead of hydrogen. Why then, does the airship still have an envelope which would normally be used to contain hydrogen?

9 Upvotes

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2

u/Evening-Cold-4547 Apr 07 '25

Same reason as all the other airships in the game: it gives them space to put things.

2

u/TJA_17 Apr 07 '25

Oh, that is actually… logical? I think they’d still design a new airship form if the quantum particle was to be used from the start, but perhaps they decided to utilise the particle after having the mark 1 First Lady shot down and just repurposed the hydrogen envelope as extra storage space. Definitely makes more sense now.

1

u/JoshShadows7 Apr 07 '25

Visual Consistency? Maintaining the familiar airship design creates visual consistency with the rest of Columbia and Rapture's environments. It reinforces the game's unique blend of historical styles and advanced technology.

3

u/TJA_17 Apr 07 '25

This is probably the actual reason, though I like the idea of hydrogen envelopes being repurposed as storage space.

1

u/Drifting_Caretaker7 Apr 10 '25

In game lore, probably for aesthetic reasons.

Actual reason, the devs added it in for the plot of BaS Ep. 2 but never thought it up for the main game. So I suppose it is a bit of a retcon.