Monster Zoo not giving reward

A Monster Zoo will not give the reward for clearing it if you leave the level and return later (I think it may also happen if you save & quit and return, but I haven't been able to test that yet)

 

I'd bet anything that disturbs the "number of monsters left in zoo" counter will also prevent you from receiving a reward for clearing the zoo.

 

What is the reward for clearing a zoo even supposed to be? I've never once gotten anything after clearing several zoos, apart from the totally random junk that may or may not be lying on the ground inside. Last time I even cleared one without leaving the level and still didn't find anything special (though I got backed into a shop while fighting, which changed the music, which may or may not be a factor in anything).

 

You get an artifact of some sort. I've gotten one or two that were actually useful.

 

I think the reward is actually the same it is for finishing a quest actually

 

You should get a special bit of artwork with a banner saying "Your bloody reward:" on it and a box with the item. Just like getting a quest reward, lutefisk reward, etc. It's not just a random item in the zoo itself. I wouldn't be surprised if visiting a shop breaks it; so many other things do.

 

Confirming OP's report. Had the same thing happen. [edit]on reloading as well[/edit]

 

Had the same problem. Big Monster Zoo on level 3, went on level 2 several times while clearing, no reward.

 

I've even had the counter stop if I use a teleport square to move away, rest, then come back and reengage the zoo. That was annoying.

 

Yeah, Zoo Counters are very, very finicky. If you do any of the following, they can bug out and rob you of your reward (and achievement):

1) move too far away. I've seen counters bug out after moving as little as 3-4 rooms away.
2) save and quit during a zoo and then reloading. This freezes the counter.
3) changing floors and coming back. This generally makes the counter disappear completely.

There may be other things that foul it up that I'm unaware of. Anyway, the best bet when you get a Zoo and aren't expecting it is to try and tough it out: use some consumables and whip out any AoE spells/Bolts/Flasks that you have handy. If you do clear the Zoo without it freaking out, you will get a random Artifact of slightly better quality than a Quest Reward. The Artifact will also have a description involving blood and guts in it" "blah blah blah, it is drizzled in blood" or the like.

 

I might have been exaggerating a bit on 1) but I've had it happen where I kept running away from the Zoo's door to find better chokepoints, or heal, or buff up, or whatever, and at some point the counter turned off. Since then I've been paranoid about moving too far away from a Zoo, but I'm not sure how far away you really have to get, or if that was just a fluke, or what.

In any case, bug or design choice, it's still easy to "lose your counter" and miss out on the Artifact reward.

 

Generally speaking, if you are not ready to deal with zoos, you need to prepare yourself before you start opening doors on the second level. Buy some AE thrown weapons or bolts, and so on. I can NEARLY always find a choke point (or at least a minor choke point) close enough to the zoo. that I can survive. As far as abilities are concerned, depending on your build, you should either aim to get an AE attack by dungeon level 2 or 3 or decent defenses (if you are a melee) and sufficient means of healing yourself (either through a skill or through some combination of a number of potions, wands, food, and/or mushrooms).

 

Currently, as long as you never stand in the middle of a door while opening it, you can always close it when the zoo is revealed (i.e. monsters won't step onto the door tile). That should give you some time to prepare yourself.

Of course, if you aren't ready for the zoo and it happens to be the only door out of the room you entered the level onto, then you're out of luck. I've had that happen a couple of times. At least stairs don't get generated in zoo rooms!

 

That would be tons of fun, especially on later floors with mage characters.

 

This is very important. If you get into the habit of opening EVERY door from the top/bottom or left/right side, Zoos and Surprise Monster Brigades are much less dangerous - you can just slam the door in their faces and go your merry way until you're ready for them.