What Stage 1 usually means
Stage 1 commonly describes calibration for a mechanically standard and healthy vehicle using an appropriate fuel grade. That description still requires exact vehicle, ECU, software and transmission identification.
A conservative Stage 1 file should preserve component protections, remain coherent with the torque model and produce repeatable behavior across the intended operating range.
What changes in a Stage 2 project
Stage 2 commonly assumes declared airflow, exhaust, cooling or fueling hardware changes. Those parts do not automatically justify higher targets; the calibration must represent the actual hardware and remain inside verified limits.
The project may require additional logging, dyno validation and transmission review. If the hardware specification is unknown, a Stage 2 label is not enough information to build the file.
How to choose
Start with intended use, vehicle condition, fuel, climate, hardware and torque-path limits. A lower, repeatable target can be the better engineering decision for towing, sustained high load or uncertain maintenance history.
Use vehicle database figures as planning estimates, not guaranteed output. Final performance depends on the individual vehicle, test method, environment and calibration validation.