How do i figure out what any particular item is for?

[Repsack]

The in game encyclopedia is great at explaining how to make the items, but i struggle to figure out what they are for.

One example is that i can make "Crude Data Storage", and i suspect these make it easier to program multiple bots with the same program, but i have no idea how.

Some items like the Mallet have descriptions like "You can beat trees and get fruit" or something like that, but things like Crude Gears or Planks or Poles just has nothing.

I wish i could find if items are a component for other recipees, if they are usable in the world, or if they are upgrade items, all that stuff.

[Fel]

Crude data storage lets you copy a bot's order onto the floppy disk with Ctrl+click and paste it into an other bot with ctrl+right click.

Usually the research or certificate that unlocks the recipe gives you a good indication on what the items are going to be for.
Still using the crude data storage as an example, it is unlocked by the "robotics" research that unlocks mk1 bots and various parts related to bots (most of them being upgrades).

When you want to know more than that, there is always the wiki, it is full of informations and well worth keeping on the side:
https://autonauts.fandom.com/wiki/Autonauts_Wiki

[Repsack]

Good answers! Do you think the Wiki is in a good state? I do not remember where i heard it, but i remember hearing that it was terribly outdated and had loads of false information all over.

[Fel]

I haven't had any problems with it when I was playing a few months ago and the game didn't drastically change since then so maybe it lacks a few bits but overall it is pretty complete as far as I can tell.

[Pesky]

The wiki is fine for someone who is looking desperately for information. It may not be correct in every detail but it's great at telling you what is connected to what.

[Egan Wolf]

There used to be two wikis, one on Fandom and one on Gamepedia. The one on Fandom was for the prototype on itch.io so it looked outdated if someone was using it for the Steam version. Now Fandom and Gamepedia are merged and there is only one wiki for Autonauts.