When you make an item and it's component has a Level Up Chance, that is the percentage chance that the item will end up a level higher. For chances over 100% each 100% will guarantee one level increase.
For example if you create a level 10 Shield Generator with Circuit Boards that give 250% bonus and Super Conductors that give 60% bonus, the Circuit Boards will always give 2 additional levels for being over 200%, then they will give an additional 50% chance for a 3rd level. The 60% Super Conductors will give a 60% chance for a new level. In the end you get 2 additional levels plus a 50% chance for another and a 60% chance for another (ending up with 2, 3 or 4 additional levels)
If you mix levels of Circuit Boards or Super Conductors, it takes the average of the items. So using a level 39 Circuit Board (157.72%) and 9 level 1 Circuit Boards (0%) will give you a (157.72 + (9 * 0)) / 10 = 15.772% chance of getting a level up. 5 level 39 Circuit Boards and 5 Level 1 Circuit Boards would give you a ((157.72 * 5)+ (5*0))/10 = 78.86% chance of getting a bonus level.
There are a few short cuts that can help with that and with moving things around.
Doing a Shift Click will learn the entire stack of blueprints
If the Recycling tab or Storeroom is open, double clicking an item will move it into the open tab. It doesn't need to be drag/drop.... and Shift-Double Clicking will move all stacks of that type of item.'
Before the outposts were added, the level of Befarians started at 1 at Celia and gradually got higher. Now the level of Befarians starts at each Befarian outpost and goes down as you get further from the outpost. They have been put out at an appropriate distance so the area immediately around Celia has level 1 Befarian. The farther ones have higher level Befarians right around them. When there is overlap, it takes the higher of the levels. If you get far enough away from all the outposts you won't run into any more Befarian. That is probably not going to happen though.
In the works the outposts will have a much bigger role. They will be focal points of battle. The Befarian are working on their own warp portals.