Who can join
Only players who own the expansion can join a server running Space Age. A group where somebody has only the base game needs it off.
Switching it
In the factoriotools image the switch is DLC_SPACE_AGE: on every start it enables or disables the three mods in mods/mod-list.json. On Flux it is the Space Age field in Deployment Settings, on by default.
- Base-game save, Space Age on: the save is migrated to the expansion (measured: the server ran the space-age migrations and started).
- Space Age save, Space Age off: it loads, but Factorio drops everything that belongs to a mod it no longer loads, so the expansion's content is gone from the map. Keep a backup before switching.
Memory
A fresh Space Age map used about 320 MB in our tests. Each planet is its own surface with its own factory, so a game that has reached several planets wants the 4 or 8 GB plan.
Frequently asked questions
Do all players need Space Age?
On a server running it, yes. Turn it off for a base-game server anyone with Factorio can join.
Can I turn Space Age off later?
Safely only for a map that never used it. A save that used the expansion still loads, but without the content the expansion added, so back it up first.