Refinery and Factory Loop
Turning raw materials into war.
Refineries convert raw resources into materials; factories convert materials into crated equipment. This middle of the supply chain is where logistics labour becomes usable gear.
What this page teaches
- What refineries do
- What factories do
- The basic vs refined material split
- How to keep the loop efficient
What the loop is
The refinery-factory loop is the processing stage of logistics. Raw scrap and components go in; basic materials, refined materials, and crates of gear come out.
It sits between gathering and delivery, and it is where most of a faction's equipment is actually born.
Refineries
Refineries take raw resources and produce materials. Basic materials cover common needs like construction and simple gear; refined materials feed more advanced production.
Refining takes time, so feeding refineries early keeps the rest of the chain from stalling.
Factories
Factories consume materials to produce crates of equipment: weapons, ammo, uniforms, medical supplies, and more. A crate is the unit you actually haul to the front.
Producing the right mix matters — a stack of crates the front does not need is wasted material.
Basic vs refined materials
Basic materials are the workhorse resource for everyday gear and construction. Refined materials are scarcer and feed higher-tier equipment and facilities.
Spend refined materials deliberately; they represent far more upstream work than basic ones.
Common mistakes
Producing only what is fun to make. The front needs shirts, ammo, and bandages far more than niche equipment.
Letting a refinery sit empty while scrap piles up beside it. Keep the inputs flowing.
Related systems
Feed the loop with Scrap to Frontline, then move output through Shipping and Containers and into Public Stockpiles. Facilities extend this into advanced production.
Burning refined materials on vanity equipment while frontline bases sit short of basic shirts and ammo.
Check what frontline bases are missing before you queue production. Make what the war needs, not what is interesting.