Monster Zoos..... is this SUPPOSED to happen?

So, ok, quick screenshot:

http://i.imgur.com/NizQK.jpg

I havent seen this happen in the game before at any point... the monster zoo is split into TWO rooms, the second of which automatically appeared on the map as soon as I found the first one. 200 monsters, about 100 in each. I managed to kill everything in the first room, and the next step is to manage to work my way down to the second.... easier said than done. Screw those stupid dragons.

But is it SUPPOSED to do that? Split the room like that, or make two of them? I wondered if it might be a bug, but it also might NOT be a bug.... I dont know. I thought I'd mention it anyway.

 

Fairy certain it's a bug, happened to me a few times.

 

This happened to me also, but I found it very convenient.
The First room contained about 100 monsters which I took out and then I could open the door to the rest of the monster zoo, which contained about 50 monsters at any time.
It might be a bug, but I'd say they can keep it in since it's pretty handy. And it only happened to me once in so many monster zoos.

 

it's a known bug

 

Huh. I kinda liked the fact there were two. If they weren't both revealed at the same time, I'd like it more, as it'd freak the hell out of me when running into it.

 

Had something similar happen to me last night. Opened a mob zoo, cleared it down to 100 mobs remaining, scratching my head wondering "wut?" Then I go up to the door in the top of the zoo, and there was the second chamber. Actually thought that was cooler that it was connected instead of two disconnected zoos.

 

This is on the "do to" list, actually.

From http://www.gaslampgames.com/blog/2011/07/21/laundry-day/#more-2165

"Balance Tweaks:

* Only one monster zoo per level, please."

I've seen it happen, too, but I got "lucky" and "only" had 150 monsters (one room of 100, one room of 50). Let me tell you, if you want to get rid of some of those consumables or AoE Crossbow Bolts/Flasks/Bombs, that's the way to do it.

 

That's good to know. At least it gave me the option of avoiding the 2nd 100-monster-filled-room entirely, but.... it very easily could have put it somewhere where I COULDNT have avoided it.

As it is, I managed to get through the first 100 with little trouble, in big part due to the mighty might of the Bolts of Squid, combined with Acid Bottle Bolts and those Puffballs that I use so often.

 

Almost on topic:
When I was dungeon crawling I had been itching for a monster zoo to level up, but I didn't find one on level 3 and I'm 100% sure I've explored the entire level.
Is this a bug or is there just a very slim chance not to encounter a monster zoo on a level other than 1?

 

I once had no Zoo spawn on level 2.

 

I never had no zoo spawn, but Level 3 for one of my chars had no Brax shops, now that was weird.

 

http://i.imgur.com/m5eEW.jpg

Happened again to me just now, same level as well.

 

Why can't I be this lucky.

 

The one problem with a lack of monster zoo though: That's a TON of experience you WONT be getting on a particular floor, not without spending half a year waiting for random spawns and grinding them.

I actually like the monster zoos, myself... they seem to break up the gameplay a bit, and to me are the most exciting moments in the game.

They can take awhile though. My last one that I just did about an hour ago was on floor 5 with 97 monsters.... yeesh. That took awhile.

And the game SLLLLLOOOOOOWWWWWSSSSS DOOOOOWWWWNNNN when you have 80 monsters die on the same tile, thus creating the Ultimate Laggy Bloodsplat. I'm playing on a super-high-end powerhouse PC, too, so it just amazes me that that happens at all.

 

What Misery said. I was really eager to get tons of exp when I was actively looking for a monster zoo and my current level didn't have one.
At least this lack of exp didn't hurt me further down because I was using a very overpowered promethean/blood magic/ley lines build.

 

I like the monster zoos too, but I'd rather have a floor without a monster zoo, then a floor without a single shop.
Squid bolts are your friends.

 

Misery, you nailed it. Losing the XP from the Zoo means you're behind for the rest of the game.

The bloodspatter issue could be resolved easily if they wrote something into the game limiting the number of "spattered" tiles that could be shown at once. Older ones should simply time out like corpses do.

 

@aaron

In your screenshot there's a room you missed, there's a door leading north/up in a room along the right edge of the map, near the center. That's probably where your Zoo is.

On my last character, Floor 9 only had one Brax shop for some reason. So, of course, it was not only the second-to-last room I explored, that was also the floor where I found a Bolts Vending Machine and thus had NO free inventory space to speak of. >.<

 

That's just a hook end, Marak. He just didn't bother to move in to complete the map. You can see another top center, too.

That said, I have also had level 2 spawn with no Zoo once as well. Quite a bummer, since that means I was left a level short of what I was expecting.

 

Damn dirty hook ends. But hey, if you can get a floor with fewer than 3 Braxes, why not a floor with fewer than 1 Zoos?