Starfield — Design 2 Network8 outgoing + 1 incoming

A 4-outpost manufacturing network covering all 30 components. Each outpost has 8 outgoing cargo links (one less than Design 1) plus 1 cargo link configured for incoming — used by the player as a dedicated drop-off slot for top-up resources. Type container counts in the yellow inputs to plan production — all numbers update live.

Methodology: brute-force optimization over partitions of the 30 components subject to the per-outpost constraint (≤8 components, no duplication, closure under inputs except where the player ferries imports). Goal: minimize unique intermediates the player carries between outposts (the lower bound is 4 — achieved here, same as Design 1). Secondary goal: acyclic build order. Difference vs Design 1: sacrificing 1 outgoing slot per outpost shrinks each outpost's component cap from 9 to 8, but the dedicated incoming cargo link gives the player a clean staging container at each hub for top-up deliveries (raws or imported intermediates). The optimizer found a different partition than Design 1 — Outpost A is still closed and built first, but the component layout differs. Player workflow: visit raw-resource outposts → fill ship cargo with raws → land at a manufacturing outpost → drop raws into shared containers (or the dedicated incoming cargo link) → manufacture → pick up products → deliver to next outpost.