Noise

v50.15 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

!!UNKNOWN!!  · xTATTEREDx  · +FINE+  · *SUPERIOR*  · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡  · ☼MASTERWORK☼

"Sound" redirects here. For the game's soundtrack, see Soundtrack.

Certain jobs generate noise which may disturb dwarves sleeping nearby. Depending on a job's noise level and proximity, your dwarves could sleep "uneasily due to noise", "very uneasily due to noise", or be woken up by noise. These events will produce unhappy thoughts in varying degrees.

Noise in cavern layers will also agitate forgotten beasts, which may cause them to attack sooner. Don't worry about this too much, because your fortress' wealth has a much greater impact on how soon they attack.

Neither walls nor doors will insulate dwarves from noise - distance and how loud a job is are the only factors determining whether a dwarf's sleep will be disturbed. Noise is produced when a noisy job is completed, but thoughts about noise do not appear until the sleeping dwarf has woken up.

Also, dwarves walking through a sleeping dwarf's room (even over their heads) will not cause noise, which is important for bedroom design.

Note: Contrary to common belief based on earlier versions, workshops do not currently produce any noise.

Noisiness of various jobs

Only 5 jobs are known to cause noise. These include the following:

• Digging - 8 tiles
• Wood cutting - 8 tiles
• Engraving - 4 tiles
• Fortification carving - 4 tiles
• Removing constructions - 8 tiles

Visualization

Noise radiates across z-levels in the shape of a cube, in all 6 directions (north/south, east/west, and up/down), so noise that travels 4 tiles will generate noise in a 9x9 pattern on 9 successive floors. The noise radiates from the center of the noise-producing things.

█		L	e	v	e	l		0							L	e	v	e	l		±		1					L	e	v	e	l		±		2					L	e	v	e	l		±		3					L	e	v	e	l		±		4					L	e	v	e	l		±		5
	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
	.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
	.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
	.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
	.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
	.	*	*	*	*	N	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
	.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
	.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
	.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
	.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.			.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.

N = Origin of noise
* = Noise
. = No noise

Avoiding unhappy thoughts caused by noise

• Don't dig near bedrooms when there are dwarves sleeping in them.
• Smooth your bedrooms before placing the actual furniture.

Designing in anticipation of noise

• Putting all your bedrooms 8 levels or lower below ground eliminates noise from wood cutting (and all other relevant noise related concerns, that being beside the point).
• Remember that jails, hospitals, and sleeping barracks should also ideally be kept away from noise, in addition to standard and noble bedrooms.

Facilities that can be safely built around or above/below bedrooms and other sleeping facilities, to separate the area set aside for the "quiet zone", include anything that does not make noise.

In adventurer mode

In adventurer mode, various noises that can be heard in unseen areas will be represented by exclamation marks of different colors. Double exclamation marks denote louder noises.

• ! ! ‼ ‼: Talking.
• ! ! ‼ ‼: Movement, such as walking or running.
• ! ! ‼ ‼: Combat.
• ! ! ‼ ‼: Mechanical noises, such as from a lever-operated door.

Most wildlife doesn't make any noise in adventurer mode, with a few exceptions such as capybaras and kakapos.

<references />