# Mindustry Basic Reference for a GUI-Only Control Task

This document contains generic game knowledge only. It does not describe any particular puzzle, map, switch assignment, final state, or solution sequence.

## 1. Observing the map

- Pan and zoom until the relevant subsystem is clearly visible.
- Pause the simulation before studying a dense system or planning an action.
- Hover over a building to identify it and inspect visible item, liquid, power, and status information.
- Enable the game's building-status display when available. A status marker helps distinguish active operation, waiting, missing input, and disabled states; inspect the building panel for the precise cause.
- Follow physical connections rather than relying only on proximity. Item belts, liquid conduits, and power links are different networks.
- Internal buffers matter. A machine may continue briefly after an input is cut, or appear healthy briefly before a missing resource causes failure.

## 2. Items, liquids, and power

### Items
Items travel through conveyors and related transport blocks. Production blocks consume particular items and may store a small internal amount. A belt that is enabled does not guarantee that the correct item reaches the destination.

### Liquids
Liquids travel through conduits and liquid-routing blocks. A machine can require a continuous liquid supply. A filled pipe segment or internal tank can make a system appear stable for a short time even when the upstream supply is inadequate.

### Power
Power generators and consumers share power through connected power networks. A network can have temporary stored energy in batteries. A consumer may work briefly from stored power even if continuous generation is insufficient. Inspect both current generation/consumption and whether the upstream generators themselves have sustained inputs.

## 3. Switches and processors

- A switch stores a Boolean state: off or on.
- Logic processors can read switch states and sensor values, perform arithmetic or Boolean operations, branch conditionally, and control linked buildings.
- A processor interacts with buildings through named links. Opening a processor normally shows its code and/or linked buildings.
- For this task, processor code and links may be read but must not be edited.
- Processor instructions execute sequentially. Conditional jump instructions can skip or repeat sections of code.
- Common concepts include:
  - setting a variable;
  - reading a property with a sensor instruction;
  - arithmetic and Boolean operations;
  - conditional jumps;
  - controlling whether a linked building is enabled.
- Boolean values are commonly represented numerically: zero is false/off and a nonzero value is true/on.
- When reading a processor, identify which switch link corresponds to each variable, which condition enables or disables each controlled building, and whether a condition is inverted.

## 4. Safe inspection workflow

1. Pause the game.
2. Identify the target subsystem and its input/output paths.
3. Inspect processors and linked blocks without changing them.
4. Derive the intended switch state and the dependencies between subsystems.
5. Distinguish a final-state condition from a safe activation order.
6. Before toggling a switch, consider what the resulting intermediate state will do if held.
7. After a toggle, verify the visible state before making another change.
8. When testing stability, unpause at normal speed and watch upstream supply, buffers, power, and health rather than only the target animation.

## 5. Reactors

### Impact Reactor
An Impact Reactor produces a large amount of power but needs significant input power to start. It requires a sustained supply of Blast Compound and Cryofluid. Because it has internal capacities and warmup behavior, short-lived operation does not prove a stable upstream supply.

### Thorium Reactor
A Thorium Reactor generates power from Thorium and requires continuous Cryofluid cooling. Insufficient coolant while fueled can lead to a destructive explosion. Treat reactor fuel and cooling as a safety-critical dependency, and inspect actual supply paths before enabling a fueled reactor.

## 6. Water and cryofluid production

- A Water Extractor consumes power and produces water where groundwater is available.
- A Cryofluid Mixer consumes water, Titanium, and power to produce Cryofluid.
- A complete cooling chain therefore depends on item flow, liquid flow, and power at the same time.
- A downstream coolant bar may initially reflect stored liquid rather than a sustainable production rate.

## 7. Evidence of stable operation

A system should be considered stable only when:

- the target remains active for a sustained interval;
- upstream item and liquid inputs continue to arrive;
- coolant and fuel are not merely being depleted from a one-time buffer;
- the power network remains viable after startup demand;
- no protected building loses health, catches fire, or explodes;
- no corrective switch action is needed during the verification interval.