Yeah, L:Earth is an acquired taste for sure.
The game engine is pretty damn crusty/rickety for sure. But once it clicks, you're off to the races and the weird menu navigation becomes second nature.
I found myself going to the dev's
Discord page any time I felt stuck or unsure of mechanics. It's pretty dang active and the crowd is friendly as hell (as you might imagine for such a niche title).
Best advice would be to follow the numbered work-orders sequentially and read the descriptions closely as the first couple dozen serve as a tutorial.
Glidercat also has a nice
tutorial series on YT as well.