[Pax]

Not only will yur 8 worlds function properly, if you build some population transports, you should be able to fill that RW up all the faster.

Figure out how often a freighter fleet could visit each world, if you dedicate a fleet to eahc of your 8 worlds.

Then figure out how much population you can take off of those worlds, and regrow to full population by the time the ship(s) next pay a visit.

Arrange for a fleet with JUST that much cargo space available for population to make repeated trips from that world, to the RingWorld (this is where Repeat Orders gets used most, IMO). Do so.

If you figure an average of 20M population per world per turn, that's 160M population per turn being brought in to the Ringworld, on TOP of it's own growth.

And the faster you fill the sucker up, the better, right? 8)