【Factorio】MOD Compatibility Check Guide and Safe Combinations

When building MODs in Factorio 2.0 series (reference: latest stable 2.0.73), the biggest risk is treating "works on 2.0" and "works naturally alongside Space Age DLC (2024-10-21)" as the same thing. Space Age, Quality, and Elevated Rails can each be toggled independently, giving you lots of freedom in configuration—but this also means there are combinations where the research tree or material flows silently break down.

I learned this the hard way. Right after introducing Space Age, I threw in a large MOD at the same time, and while the game started, research ended up stranded mid-air. From that point on, I switched to checking dependencies, incompatibilities, supported versions, and update dates separately on the Mod Portal and in-game—and crucially, treating "loads successfully" and "fully integrated" as different things entirely. Now the setup is stable.

This article walks you through the decision points for whether you're adding mostly QoL mods safely, layering small MODs onto Space Age, playing large MODs solo, or tackling integrated setups with compatibility patches. Whether you want to avoid startup crashes or figure out if Krastorio 2 or Bob's mods play nicely with Space Age, I've focused on the key checkpoints you should look at first.

【Factorio】Where Do You Check for MOD Conflicts? Three Places to Look First

How to Read the In-Game MOD Management Screen

The most practical place to start is the in-game MOD management screen. You can see each MOD's details here—required dependencies, compatibility flags, supported Factorio versions. Japanese installation guides often mention things like "dependencies might auto-select" or "errors can occur during installation," but UI display and behaviour vary by language, version, and environment. Beyond what's shown on screen, I'd recommend checking the creator's notes and Discussions for actual behaviour.

While you're organising here, pay attention to the enabled state of Space Age, Quality, and Elevated Rails. As noted in Upcoming features - Factorio Wiki, these three are handled as separate major MODs. That means the same "MOD that works on 2.0" can mean different things depending on whether Space Age is on versus just Quality. When checking MOD details in-game, it helps to line up not just the target MOD itself, but also which DLC switches are ON or OFF in your mental model.

If you're adding screenshots, put boxes around the dependencies section and compatibility display position in the detail panel, with arrows pointing to what to look at. New readers tend to get stuck on the list view, so highlighting the detail panel side makes the conflict-checking flow much clearer.

Upcoming features

wiki.factorio.com

How to Read Dependencies, Incompatibilities, and Update Dates on the Mod Portal

Once you spot an interesting MOD in-game, check the Mod Portal next. The basic workflow is scanning Dependencies, Incompatibilities, Changelog, Last updated, and Factorio version in that order on mods.factorio.com. Dependencies split into "Required" and "Optional" there—and Optional often hides by default. Miss this and you'll end up with "it should work, but it doesn't" mismatches.

In Dependencies, first count how many Required items there are. A MOD with many Required deps is more of "a component within a setup" than a standalone addition. Optional is equally hard to ignore—some compatibility pieces only make sense when specific large MODs or DLCs are installed. Even in QoL MODs, you sometimes see expansion features built on the assumption another MOD exists, and you'll see that difference here.

If Incompatibilities shows up on the Mod Portal, treat it as a caution flag in practical terms. However, the precise definition and operation of that label can vary by creator and portal, so avoid saying "marked = absolutely can't enable together"—instead, check Discussions and creator comments to understand the intent before you decide.

Changelog and Last updated matter a lot for conflict checking too. From my experience, older-updated MODs often haven't kept pace with Factorio 2.0's internal API changes. Even if they load, behaviour tends to be unstable. Large MODs and deeply UI-touching MODs show this difference clearly. If the changelog mentions 2.0 adjustments or DLC support, confidence jumps way up. Conversely, even attractive-sounding MODs with stalled updates need much more verification.

Don't take the "Factorio version" field at face value either. The format used on the portal varies widely, and what that notation actually covers needs checking per page. Even if there's "2.0 compatible" listed, it doesn't automatically mean DLC (like Space Age) is integrated—check the description and Discussions for whether DLC is a prerequisite.

For your screenshot notes, boxes around Dependencies, Incompatibilities, and Last updated work best on the Mod Portal side. Readers naturally start with thumbnail and description, but from a conflict-checking perspective, the metadata side carries more value.

Space Age, Quality, Elevated Rails: Enabled/Disabled States and Labelling Cautions

The DLC side is where reading mistakes often become conflict entry points. As Space Age - Factorio Wiki shows, Space Age is a paid expansion, separate from the Factorio 2.0 base-game update. Quality and Elevated Rails are also split out as major MODs, so "works on 2.0" won't auto-tell you which DLC setup it assumes.

Krastorio 2 is a great example—it has 2.0 support info, but Space Age and Quality need separate consideration. Bob's Revamp, too: the creator confirms it loads without errors alongside Space Age, but that's not the same as "fully integrated." In reality, these combinations tend to make recipe chains and material supply come out misaligned, and dedicated compatibility MODs sometimes appear separately. The fact that compatibility MODs exist between Space Age and Bob's variants proves that mismatch actually happens.

The label to watch for is how it's worded in the description more than simple version support. Big difference between "works on 2.0" versus "supports Space Age." Discussions with comments like "loads OK but integration work is pending" are textbook examples. When I see language like that, I treat it as unintegrated but loadable, not "compatible."

When stacking large MODs, be deliberate about whether Space Age, Quality, or Elevated Rails is ON. A config that works easily with just Quality can suddenly get much harder when Space Age activates—research trees and material chains can flip. Incompatibility risks across the board and DLC-state differences directly add to your verification checklist.

Keep it simple. Something like 2.0.73 / Space Age=ON / Quality=OFF / Elevated Rails=ON means that when you're reading Mod Portal descriptions and Discussions later, your judgement won't drift. Writing these three individually makes sense.

Once a config stabilises, keep that mix locked to that save. Per-save MOD syncing lets you swap configs to match saves. If you want vanilla-lean QoL setups, Space Age-centric worlds, and solo large-MOD runs side by side, this separation is a huge win.

Next rung is Space Age as the anchor, with just light helper MODs stacked on top. Difficulty goes up a notch, but still realistic. Picture Space Age's new planets and logistics shifts, plus official tweaks like Elevated Rails, as your base, then layer in display tweaks or control assists. That split itself signals you can't treat them as one fungible pile.

These three major MODs aren't add-ons—they're baseline preconditions for the whole setup. When you're stuck on compatibility, the first thing to return to isn't "is it 2.0?" but "which of Space Age, Quality, and Elevated Rails does this assume?"

Space Age

wiki.factorio.com

Pre-Install Checklist: A 5-Step Framework for Safe Combinations

Version and DLC Confirmation

To judge combinations safely, start by locking down base version and DLC setup, not MOD names. Otherwise, you'll find MODs marked "2.0 compatible" but hit dead ends when you can't tell if they assume Space Age, exclude Quality, or include Elevated Rails. I make a quick one-liner note to anchor my baseline before I start checking candidates.

Keep it simple. Something like 2.0.73 / Space Age=ON / Quality=OFF / Elevated Rails=ON means that when you're reading Mod Portal descriptions and Discussions later, your judgement won't drift. The Upcoming features section on Factorio Wiki breaks down Space Age, Quality, and Elevated Rails as separate major MODs, so writing these three individually makes sense.

This note is especially useful if you're bringing 1.1 legacy assets into 2.0. Setups that were stable in 1.1 become impossible to untangle unless you check 2.0 base support and DLC support separately. For large MODs, this gap is huge—the same "it boots" can mean totally different recipe and research flows when DLCs are factored in.

The Four-Point Check: Dependencies, Incompatibilities, Version, Update Date

Narrow down which items you check per candidate MOD. I lock in Dependencies, Incompatibilities, Factorio version, and Last updated. On the Mod Portal, the dependencies page splits Required and Optional, with Optional often buried in the default view—for large setups, don't judge by what's visible at first glance. Read deeper into descriptions, Discussions, and update history to be safe.

When reading these four points, keeping a note about DLC assumptions on the side makes organisation much easier. If Incompatibilities exist, treat it practically as a caution and verify the creator's intent before adopting.

A one-page checklist works fine. Setting a format upfront makes comparison easier as candidates pile up.

• Base version
• DLC setup
• MOD list (version, dependencies, incompatibilities, update date)
• Conclusion (adopt / hold / reject)

How to Backup and Create New Saves

Once candidates are narrowed down, next is copying your save data and mod-list.json. It sounds unglamorous, but it pays off. After tweaking configs, if you want to revert and only have the save, restoring "which MODs were on and how" becomes time-consuming. Keeping both save and MOD setup means you have something concrete to compare.

When moving 1.1 legacy to 2.0, double-backup is about right. I've jumped into things thinking "it loaded fine, no problem," then couldn't precisely restore my old stable setup and lost time. The data didn't corrupt—I just lost track of what combo actually worked. That's the annoying part.

Actual testing runs on a new save, not your main active one. Without research progress and existing entities in the way, you can separate "boots" from "initial consistency" cleanly. Touching a MOD solo first before mixing it with others gives you a sense of what it fundamentally changes, making it easier to narrow down causes later if conflict shows up.

Gradual Enablement and Bisect Debugging

This is where the real testing happens. Enable one at a time, test startup with a fresh save each run. It's more work, but it's ultimately fastest. Dumping everything in at once makes it impossible to read whether failure stems from missing dependency, incompatibility, lack of integration, or update mismatch. I've burnt half a day trying to reproduce conditions after a bulk import crashed.

The flow: set your baseline, add one MOD, boot, return to title. Then make a new save, check right-after-start UI, research screen, and recipe weirdness. QoL MODs usually pass here, but large MODs or compatibility patches can load but have broken chains, so check early crafting and research tree connectivity.

When trouble hits, bisection works. Don't turn everything off and restart—cut the ON set in half, see which side keeps the problem. Cut in half again. You'll home in fast even with big counts. Simple, but MOD numbers show the payoff.

Save Separation and Per-Save MOD Syncing for Lock-In

Once a config stabilises, keep that mix locked to that save. As covered in the factorio@jp Wiki's FAQ, per-save MOD syncing lets you swap configs to match saves. If you want vanilla-lean QoL setups, Space Age-centric worlds, and solo large-MOD runs side by side, this separation is a huge win.

The key is not trying to force one universal config across all saves. MODs like Krastorio 2, Bob's variants, and Space Exploration rewire the entire game foundation—they're strong enough to carry their own world—and cramming them together kills consistency. Keep a Space Age-focused save and a solo-large-MOD save separate. Way more stable.

If you're planning big mixes, play each alone first to understand what it demands, then lock it in. Those misalignments invisible from load-success stats show up fast once you play. Per-save syncing keeps "what's on this save?" always crystal clear.

FAQ - Factorio Wiki*

Factorio Wiki*

wiki.factorio.com

Recommended Setups by Safety Level

QoL-Focused Setup

The safest way to start is QoL-only setups—things that barely touch recipes. That covers inventory sorting, signal and build visibility, UI info assists, shortcut adds—stuff that raises playability without rewriting the whole game. These stack well with large DLCs like Space Age, and they're perfect if you want to keep vanilla and DLC feeling while just cutting friction.

When I move to a new environment, I usually start with just 2–3 QoL mods, not a mountain. This way, it's easy to see where Space Age itself adds something versus where QoL changes things. When you later climb toward large MODs, you'll recognize "what's the separate layer" much faster, and overall stability gets way better. Space Age alone is substantial—the Space Age - Factorio Wiki entry notes 4 new planets. Throwing piles of overhauls on top from the jump muddies the waters more than clarifying.

Even QoL MODs sometimes hide heavy Optional dependencies. The Mod Portal splits Dependencies into Required and Optional, with Optional often collapsed by default. Light MODs can surprise you. Still, if you're a beginner taking the first step, this band is the lowest-accident zone.

Space Age + Small MOD Setup

Next rung is Space Age as the anchor, with just light helper MODs stacked on top. Difficulty goes up a notch, but still realistic. Picture Space Age's new planets and logistics shifts, plus official tweaks like Elevated Rails, as your base, then layer in display tweaks or control assists. The Factorio Wiki's Upcoming features - Factorio Wiki shows Space Age, Quality, and Elevated Rails as separate major MODs—that split itself signals you can't treat them as one fungible pile.

The sneaky thing here is Quality and small MOD compatibility labels. Even UI and info display MODs can see their data targets and filter conditions shift once Quality adds item variants. These lightweight-looking MODs are surprisingly sensitive to Quality support status. You can boot fine but miss info, or the order comes out wrong. It happens.

Experience-wise, this band is gold. Space Age is already big, so small elite helpers work better than quantity. You're trimming annoying clicks while keeping the DLC's wow factor. That early Space Age punch is strong, so keeping modular changes this low keeps the "I'm playing DLC" feel clean.

Large Standalone MOD Setup

Large MODs like Krastorio 2, Bob's variants, Space Exploration should enter solo first. Safety rating is medium to high, but that means "solo play is easy to organize," not "changes are small." The entire flow, material ratios, research weight, factory design baseline shift drastically.

Numbers tell the story. Reference breakdowns show Factorio 2.0 at 124 types, Space Age at 211, Krastorio 2 at 224, Space Exploration at 423, and K2+SE at 536. Item count alone doesn't set difficulty, but large MODs densify the world itself. First run solo means you absorb the design intent cleanly.

Critically, for K2, Bob's, SE, whether something's integrated beats whether it "runs" in importance. Bob's Revamp shows unintegrated Space Age context in creator notes. K2 and SE can't claim "2.0 ready = Space Age unified." Loading ≠ researches and recipes lining up. Once you split that, future combo judgment won't slip.

After a few hours with a big MOD solo, I find my impression transforms. What I thought was "slightly more materials" becomes "whole different power curve." These MODs carry enough weight to justify pre-solo practice.

Setups Using Compatibility Patch MODs

Bridging non-matching MODs with third-party compatibility patches is attractive but safety drops—medium at best. Example: a MOD that fills gaps between Space Age and Bob's variants. The original pair doesn't naturally align, so someone else threads the bridge. The experience then leans on the patch author's priorities, not the official designer's intent.

This band feels advanced because you absorb update-tracking risk yourself. Original MOD updates, DLC assumptions shift, the patch waits to catch up. Trouble isn't just load failure—research gaps, material misalignment, things visible only mid-play. Space Age x Bob's Compatibility exists on the portal because misalignment is real. Safety drops because the middle layer's stability becomes your bottleneck, and that layer wasn't officially guaranteed.

Pragmatically, treat this as "setups needing integration MODs" rather than just adding a third MOD. Solo, even high-quality MODs can mismatch; when you thread them, that middle layer anchors the whole experience. Alluring, but first-touch configs should deprioritize this.

The setup breakdown by safety looks like:

From this ladder, beginners' safe path is QoL→Space Age+Small→solo large MOD, then tackle patch setups later. Knowing the difference makes problem diagnosis way faster when friction appears.

Common Conflict Patterns in Space Age

The Quality Non-Support Pitfall

The sneaky part of Space Age is that "base 2.0 ready" and "Quality ready" are separate. The Upcoming features - Factorio Wiki divides Space Age, Quality, and Elevated Rails as 3 distinct major MODs. So Space Age on doesn't guarantee Quality will work—it's an independent toggle. Miss this, and designs erode silently post-boot.

Classic sign: quality tiers fail to attach to items that should get them, or quality recipes never generate at all. Crafting looks normal, so you miss it—but assembler candidates shrink, filter logic breaks, downstream specs fail, and suddenly it's "something's very wrong." Krastorio 2 context shows this is a live landmine. Creator notes hint at Quality as non-targeted, making it real friction.

What makes me call it rough is misalignment shows up as silent gaps, not red crashes. Game boots, early production ticks, you're fine—then the quality-assumption expansion phase hits and that one item type just won't stack up. Large MODs pack lots of middle steps; one broken tier ripples everywhere. Here's where "it loaded" ≠ "it works."

New Science and New Material Non-Integration

The heaviest conflict with large MOD mixing is Space Age additions (research, materials) not woven into big MOD progression design. Space Age adds 4 planets plus new science tiers, but K2, Bob's, SE don't internally resync their goal chains. A break forms in the research tree.

This break isn't "you get more research"—it's "you see research but no path leads there." Say big MOD demands a middle material, but that material's tech links to Space Age's new science, which doesn't chain back into big MOD's material hierarchy. You see the tech, but the gate is broken. Tree has the node, but design hasn't bridged it.

Bob's Revamp shows this plainly in creator notes. The unintegration text is readable: "2.0 ready" ≠ "Space Age unified." The danger is it loads fine but unintegrated, marked not "incompatible" but loadable yet incomplete. Play early, think you're good, hit late-stage new science, and suddenly you're stuck. Research frame shows a barrier, the node behind it won't unlock, the path closes.

Planetary Resources and Material Demand Premise Mismatch

Another high-friction point: Space Age planet resource flow vs. big MOD material stack don't align. Space Age designs resource access to shift per-planet, staged. Big MODs assume different balances, built into a different world. Layer them and demand outpaces supply architecture.

Example: Big MOD treats mid-stage as a standard dirt-sourced material. Space Age puts stable supply behind a planet-unlock or different research track. Result: recipe visible, supply missing. Not a logic error—a premise clash. Progression expects ingredient availability at stage X; the world doesn't hand it out until stage Y. Factory design doesn't fix premise breaks; you just hit a wall where nothing exists yet.

This isn't extra-hard, it's broken scaffolding. Hard means you reroute and catch up. Broken means "now, at this spot, this thing doesn't exist anywhere." Space Age planets flow smoothly solo; layer big MODs on top and material steps suddenly don't land on inhabited worlds, research shifts to alien stages. Resource graph and tech graph stop matching.

Symptoms of Research/Recipe Collision

Watch for: same-name item definition overlap, circular research deps, tech won't unlock ever, recipe shows ingredients but no method exists. Load passes before these show—they sit in playable state then bloom. Load success ≠ integrated success.

The worst sign in research is when the unlock path loops. Required condition visible, jump to it, another unmet condition, jump again, and nowhere converges. Circular or an orphaned tech. Same on recipe side: an item's name appears but nobody makes it, or material's obtainable but has zero purpose. Material, recipe, research don't form one line. That's collision texture.

Mod Portal shows Required vs. Optional dependencies; what it doesn't show is integrated design completion. Dependencies resolve load errors. Integration spans research intent. So "dependencies met" is necessary but not sufficient. Space Age + big MOD issues live in that gap.

When I catch this symptom, opening the research screen before craft tab spots the malfunction fast. Unlock chains don't flow cleanly, visible techs lack supporting gear, material name leads nowhere. These signal collision textures—those "loads OK but missing linkage" problems.

MOD-by-MOD Status: Krastorio 2, Bob's, Space Exploration

Krastorio 2 Status

K2 is unusually readable among big MODs. 2.0 support is solid, Elevated Rails gets forward-looking notes. Quality is non-supported—safe assumption. Space Age integration is non-supported in main K2. Creator discussions separate "runs on 2.0" from "unified with Space Age" as different discussions.

Where it bites: K2's material ladder and Space Age's new science don't auto-link. K2 solo plays like one coherent sequence—mine here, feed that into this, unlock equipment, scale power. I felt it as "vanilla extension, feels clean." Mix with Space Age though, and that tidy stair gets a different stair dropped mid-climb. New science chains back, but K2's release order doesn't sync. Next middle-material wants its unlock from new-science side, but K2's design offered it earlier. Supplies don't coordinate.

Planet resource premise clashes show too. Space Age designs stage-wise resource shift across worlds. K2 assumes its own balance. Layer them and K2's "get this stable early" material becomes "blocked by planet gate" or "flipped tier." Design intent breaks. Researches table says "advance," but supply logistics says "wait for planet three."

K2 Spaced Out as a derivative exists. But that's not "K2 now has Space Age support"—it's "someone plugged the gap K2 didn't". Main K2 and integrated derivative are separate asks. Confusing them is a safety trap.

Bob's Revamp Status

Bob's is hard to judge because context is mixed. Space Age loads without fatal error, says creator notes. That's true. Integration? Unfinished. Start and early game run—that's the load guarantee. Mid-stage new science, late research, and material weave show the gaps.

Bob's material forest is thick; unintegrated Space Age on top means breaks hide in foliage. Early mining and crafting work, so you think "safe." Hit mid-game, need new science, and a middle component's unlock chains somewhere alien. Material shows up, path disappears. Load success ≠ end-state coherence.

Bob's Quality support is not declared either. At least "Space Age loads" was stated. Quality angle is blank. This adds uncertainty on top of uncertainty.

The saver: Bob's compat MODs exist—Space Age x Bob's Compatibility type patches. They exist because Bob's + Space Age has gaps that need bridging. Not because unified, but because unifying was delegated to helper layers. Bob's + Space Age is a "patch required" setup, not a "load and play" setup.

Space Exploration Status

SE claims 2.0 discussion, but Space Age integration is non-supported or very hard. Not delay—overlap too large. Both rewrite progression and resource flow, both chase space. Neither premises the other.

Numbers show SE's heft: 423 items. Factorio 2.0 is 124, Space Age is 211. SE alone is another full game. Mixing adds density and competing architecture. SE designs a long journey into space; Space Age adds planets with resource stages. Both reshape "where do I get materials, what do I unlock next?" When you layer them, same decisions get made twice with different answers. Overhaul vs. overhaul—they fight.

Most likely outcome: planet resource mismatch spirals, research order becomes incoherent, late-stage demands collide. This is less "harder" and more "two designs for the same space" fighting over who sets rules.

SE solo is incredibly complete—that full-game feel is a feature. Play it as designed first. Mixing with Space Age dilutes that. Try combining; you get complexity, not coherence.

"Loads" vs. "Integrated"—The Core Split

The keystone across all three: "loads" and "integrated" are different things. Loading is "no crash at boot." Integrated is recipes, research, resources all line up.

Mod Portal shows dependencies—those're load-level. Design-level unification? Not promised there. "Boots with Space Age" ≠ "Space Age recipes are built in." So "ran fine" is just the first checkpoint. Quality support, new science weaving, planet resource matching—those are later checkpoints. Miss them and gameplay derails quietly.

Current map:

The table's point isn't rank, it's failure mode differs. K2 confuses base vs. patch. Bob's lulls you with "loads," then breaks. SE's scope makes unification a project. All crash differently when mixed. Knowing the shape of each MOD's current limits helps you predict where the crack will form—before you pour hours past it.

Error Handling When Things Break

Where Error Logs Are and How to Read Them

When something breaks, skip the pop-up one-liner and go log file tail + full error trace. Game output logs hold "which MOD halted load," "which file read failed," "dependency missing or definition clash or version mismatch"—hand holds are buried in there. Grab MOD name, file path, line number, dependency, duplicate, version markers. Parse those before you parse English.

Key trick: don't try to understand the full log. If a MOD name jumps out clearly, that's the prime suspect or at least the last thing being processed. File paths/data.lua reads point to load-phase failure. Dependency language flags missing-MOD. Duplicate text flags multiple MODs defining the same thing. Version smell suggests update gap.

If you screenshot, grab full error dialog and log-tail traceback separately. When you review later, the pattern clicks faster. Especially highlight the MOD name's first appearance and a few lines before/after. That's your roadmap.

Bisection to Find the Culprit

If logs don't hand you one answer, narrow down the MOD.The blunt way: disable all recent adds, reboot, then flip one back on at a time. If it broke right after you added stuff, the culprit is there. Low count? This works fine.

Problem: big existing setups, unclear what triggered it. Bisection wins. Split active MODs in half, test one set alone. Does the break reproduce? That half has the culprit. Test again there, split again. 100→50→25 logic cuts trial count hard. Self, big config stuck me half a day of linear tries. Bisect cut it to minutes.

Practical: disable recent group, retest. Still broken? Split whole config in half. One side reproduces, other doesn't? Culprit's in the reproducing side. Bisect that side. Repeat. This also separates single MOD bug from specific two+ combo conflict on the way.

Watch for same MOD in multiple versions. Manual Zip loads leave old copies lying. Dup load alone ruins behaviour. factorio@jp this. During debug, always check no version pairs exist for one MOD. You think you loaded one thing, but old Zip ghost is loading too.

Update Priority, Disabling, and Information Gathering

Once the culprit shows, don't jump to "find a compat patch MOD." Update first, then disable, then research. Missing dependency or version bump might be the full answer. Mod Portal dependencies list Required vs. Optional clearly—start by confirming Required is filled.

If updating doesn't fix it, disable that MOD and reboot. Holding it in place breeds "boots but research breaks" after-damage easier than a clean removal. Especially manual Zips—sometimes you update but old version lingers. Run multiple-version purge → update → retest and clarity rises fast.

Research digs into forum, Mod Portal Discussions, FAQ. Known issue usually lives there. "Loads but unintegrated" gets said plainly, "dependency fix pending" is readable, "Space Age not addressed yet" is findable. Search words in English: incompatible, dependency, crash on load hit hard. MOD name + keyword combos work better than error verbatim.

Compat patch hunting comes after. Patches are third-party band-aids for real gaps, so the foundation needs solid before you layer band-aids. Base MOD + dependencies sorted first, then check Discussion/FAQ for "this pairing needs a separate compat MOD," then adopt. Order matters.

Summary: This Order to Add Safely

Extra credibility comes from checking official sources (Wiki, portal Discussions) for Space Age and compatibility data.

Your Next Move

Do one thing today. Separate a test save from your main—keep it offline. Enable a small QoL group and lock that state. Base from there, add Space Age next, then tested-