So if you want an example of how I learned complex logic, it progressed something like this:
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-Ooh! Hangar doors! *Star Trek woosh noise*
- BIG HANGAR DOORS.
-Ships this big need more power...
-Docked reactors... Wait. Logic can fire weapons?!? And wireless modules send signals between entities?! SHINY!!
-I have built a giant logic cannon. I don't know why, since it's useless, but there it is.
-I have built a giant swarm missile satellite! This is not as useless!
-*discovers display module logic.* *Promptly loses an afternoon playing with display modules, but finds no practical applications*
-I have built docked cargo pods! I bet wireless logic could tell me when they're full!
-- Chain drives look awesome. I want one.
-How do I know how many pods are full? I want that on my HUD display... *Looks at display module logic experiments.* "Ohhh..."
-Builds first display module computer. It measures cargo capacity, and the current percentage of the emergency backup shield and puts them on the HUD display in flight mode.
--Yay! I have a chain drive! I wish I could charge it up without accidentally jumping to the end of space... Hmmm.... *Fails about 20 times to build a 'Warp break' with some kind of docking rig and gives up*
-I wonder if I could use Display module logic to activate stuff I usually use buttons for? Save some space in my core room...
-Builds second Display logic computer. It controls the lights and the cargo display.
--Returns to Warp break, using sensor logic instead. It works! Now I can charge my chain drive without fear of launch.
/- Builds first warp computer. Display logic accepts LIGHTS, WARP ON, WARP OFF, and CHARGE WARP as commands. The computer now has a display which explains what it's doing so you don't forget.
/-*Discovers RegEx commands like [ADD]. Several hours later, the warp computer can now ask for your name, and use it in future dialogue... When it decides to work...*
Computer: "Greetings SPIFFSPIFFAPIFFSPIFFSPIFF- ! Command List!"
Me: *facepalm* "WHY?!"
/- "Hello, Spiff! I am your Hrolfsson Shipboard computer. How can I help you?" *HOLY BALLZ, IT'S ALIVE!!*
/- I call this a Hrolfsson Logic Core. It's my dialogue capable warp computer and a core room that is now the starting point for all of my ships.
/- Computer now recognizes Activate, Deactivate, Engage warp drive, spool warp coil, and "COMMAND LIST" which will tell you all of these.
*/- "I wish my chain drive wouldn't sometimes overshoot my destination. I wonder if I could fix that..." *Builds a crappy, buggy homing system.* "Nope."
*/- *Inspired by another player's idea, constructs first programmable warp drive, which can take display module commands and charge a selectable number of jump cells to control how far you travel.*
The Logic Core is now thoroughly MASSIVE and clunky... But awesome.
**/- "what is String Parsing?"
**/- "oh. Oh... OOOH!!!"
**/- Builds second warp computer. It no longer requires fixed commands, instead automatically pulling key words out of the players typed sentence. The computer size slims down, and errors become far less frequent with the improved user friendliness of the input format. Multiple commands can now all be entered at once. What was once the most complicated circuit in the machine (name recognition) is now the smallest and simplest part of the assembly. The new computer is essentially capable of being a limited "autopilot" once the waypoint has been set in your nav computer. Just select a waypoint, math out the number of jumps you need, and tell the computer how far it needs to take you. Push modules, overdrive, and warp will get you the requested distance, then shut down.
See? It's all baby steps and tinkering.
