A Complex Item is one that has a number of different variations within the same item type.
In many inventory listings (in chests, etcetera), they appear either
- as a menu option ("Flax Seeds...")
- or as a compound ("Raeli Tiles: Olive")
When a building requires a variety of complex item, you will be given a dialog from which you choose the item to add. The item's attributes are compared to those of the requirement, and if approved, you are given the standard "how many" dialog.
Some samples of complex items, and how their names are constructed, and how they are matched:
- Knives: named by the variety ( Knife: Flint, Knife: Glass, etcetera)
- matched by the variety name
- Paint, and Raeli Tiles: named by the color (from a fixed set of colors)
- matched by the color name, or by 'name'-ish (matching any color that has 'name' in the color name)
- Treated boards: named by the attributes of the board
- matched by the attributes: "Soft Glossy" matches both "Soft" or "Glossy" individually; "Soft" does NOT match "Soft Glossy"
- Beetles, beer, wine: given individual names by the user
- matched by attributes inherent to the item that are not visible in inventory