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> except for maybe not being able to choose the output lane for inserters, but that limitation is as old as the game itself, and I don't know whether it's a misguided design decision or simply a limitation of their extremely optimized belt system.

I think I might have some good news for you, this was added this summer with the extension of the “flip” mechanic

https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-442

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sadly, that only applies if the belt is perpendicular to the inserter, not parallel (i.e. you can pick left-right, not near-far), so it's only half-great. it addresses the major inconsistency with non-trivial belt configurations breaking when flipped rather than rotated. the minor inconvenience of assembly lines requiring a small lane-switching segment on their output belts once one lane is full still remains.

Output lane switching is possible - some mods (e.g. [1]) add it, as well as even wilder options. Not offering it in the base game is a deliberate choice.

As far as belt lane management goes, another interesting option - which is also present in the engine, but not used by default! - is lane splitters [2].

[1]: https://mods.factorio.com/mod/quick-adjustable-inserters

[2]: https://mods.factorio.com/mod/lane-balancers

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