- v50 information can now be added to pages in the main namespace. v0.47 information can still be found in the DF2014 namespace. See here for more details on the new versioning policy.
- Use this page to report any issues related to the migration.
40d:Noise
Certain jobs (when completed) will generate noise that will cause your dwarves to get the unhappy thought "slept uneasily." Building or destroying buildings causes noise within 16 tiles, as does firing siege engines. Mining and wood cutting causes noise within 8 tiles.[Verify] Jobs performed at workshops cause noise within 4 tiles, and most other jobs cause noise within 4 or 2 tiles. Noise radiates in the shape of a cube, so noise that travels 4 tiles will generate noise in a 9x9 pattern on 9 successive floors, with the source centered in the middle of the square on the middle floor (see diagram below).
Neither walls nor doors will insulate dwarves from sound. Distance is the only factor in whether a dwarf's sleep will be disturbed.
When noise radiates from buildings, it radiates from the center tile, like this:
Level 0 Level ± 1 Level ± 2 Level ± 3 Level ± 4 Level ± 5 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. ........... .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. ........... .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. ........... .***WWW***. .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. ........... .***WWW***. .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. ........... .***WWW***. .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. ........... .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. ........... .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. ........... .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. .*********. ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... W = Workshop * = Noise . = No noise
Empirical Results
Since knowledge of noise is essential to good bedroom placement, you are encouraged to put your observations and guesses about what does and does not cause noise here.
Things that have been observed to cause noise:
- A dwarf eating at a table and chair was observed to disturb the sleep of a dwarf sleeping directly beneath the table.
Things that have not been observed to cause noise:
- A dwarf moving a log in and out of 1x1 stockpile did not bother another dwarf sleeping directly beneath the stockpile.
Designing in anticipation of noise
Let's say that each floor of my fortress is divided into 7x7 blocks with 2-tile-wide hallways in between, and staircases at the junctures of the hallways. This pattern is duplicated on every floor. I can decide in advance that some of the 7x7 columns will be "quiet" and some will be "loud". On each floor, the "quiet" columns will include things like bedrooms and stockpiles. The "loud" columns can be dining rooms and workshops.
To work against mining and construction noise, attempt to mine and construct in and around the quiet areas before they are well settled, or while most of the dwarves appear to be awake.