ok, so the lack of a chem model is a large problem.
I can set up gadgtes using parts, keep track of the electricity they use...
but how do I set up a system of chemicals that provides even vaguely
creatures-y biology, and have it conserve energy, *and* not require a
supercomputer?

I don't know. vadim's idea with combining bits seemed to be going in the right
direction... but... there are always problems. the system would have to
naturally include chems that stored energy... plus chemicals for an energy
cycle, waste products, etc... enough for both plant and animal life cycles.
plants would get glucose or wahtevre from leaf parts, store it in plant-y
chemicals, animals eating those would have chems to break them down into
glucose again, then store extra as meat I guess...

part of my mind wants to have parts involved in the chem stuff, having them
become the new organs... but then.. they're alreadyt defined! what's left to
mutate? isn't there any room for evolution?

while I don't think there's really much time or complexity for meaningful
evolution in creaturesy stuff, I don't want to kill it off altogether... I
want norns with different traits to be able to breed and mix those and get
better... are 'parts' taking over too much? I only wanted them to control the
stuff where shortcuts are necessary, or where rules need to be enforced...

either way... if I assume that someday I'll find a magic solution, how to I
get to a stage where I can test some sort of chem model? first I think I need
gadgets working. then I can start on the other stuff. if I go with vadim's
server I'll also have to deal with the possibility of foreign objects on
server, and be restricted in certain things n'stuff, but I'm continuing to
ignore that. I have to have some objects running on their own before dealing
with a server.

random thought: is DNA used for anything besides its own compiler? ;)

so, next big question: for the parts. do I create a caos-like language for
them in flex? or do I try to learn perl?

if I define my own language, it'd be more controlled - an insane or malicious
part couldn't damage anything but the world it's in. it'd prolly be easier to
control stuff in general.
but not only would I have to go through the hassle of creating the language -
it'd probably be limited, like caos. no complex mathy stuff. :( and code
re-use prolly wouldn't be as easy as it could be.