Speech & Chatter

Working copper golems talk. When you give one a job, tap its containers, or check in on it, the golem answers in a speech bubble above its head, and while it works it mutters to itself about what it's actually doing: setting off with a load, finding the chest full, losing a route. Every golem speaks in one of four personalities and keeps that voice for life, so after a while you know your grumpy Courier from your cheerful Sorter without reading the nameplate.

Speech bubbles

A golem's replies float above its head as white text with a shadow, the same look as a name tag, and disappear after a few seconds. Anyone standing nearby can read them. A few of the lines you'll meet:

• "Courier's the job. Show me the pickup." — right after you hand over a Work Order
• "Route learned: Chest › Barrel. On it, boss." — when the drop-off is tapped
• "Too far for my little legs — 48 blocks, tops." — a tap that's out of range
• "You're not my boss." — someone else's golem

Checking in works the same way: right-click a golem with an empty hand and its readout — job │ status │ oxidation — appears in the bubble. The FAQ decodes every status word.

• Too far away to read it? If you're more than about 24 blocks from the golem, or in another world, the reply lands in your action bar instead, so you never miss a hint during setup.
• One bubble at a time. A new line replaces the old one.
• Not everything is the golem talking. The whistle's headcount and the filter editor's "Filter set" note are system messages and stay on your action bar.

Chatter on the job

Between replies, golems talk to themselves. A line comes up at a real moment in the golem's work:

Many lines belong to one job. A Janitor grumbles "Honestly. Floors are for walking." and a Collector admits "I love my bank chest so much."

Chatter is meant to be occasional, not a running commentary:

• A golem waits at least 20 seconds between lines, and only some moments get one at all. It complains about being idle once a minute at most.
• It never talks over a reply. While a golem is answering you, the chatter waits.
• It only chatters while it's working and someone is close enough to read it. A hibernating golem is a quiet golem.
• The greeting fires when its owner walks up, not over and over while you stand there. A golem that's following you, or has frozen solid, doesn't greet.
• Chatter only ever appears in the bubble. It never lands in your chat or action bar.

The four personalities

The personality belongs to the golem itself, and it never changes: re-tasking, renaming, or waxing a golem keeps the same voice. There's nothing to set and no way to choose one, so if you want a Bard on your farm, meet a few golems until one starts narrating.

See also

• Golem Care — reading a golem's status, oxidation, follow mode, and the whistle
• Routes & Filters — the bind window your golem talks you through
• FAQ — every status word decoded