There's something about Kerbal Space Program's current update path that I find extremely charming. They've already added the ship-building, space exploring, physics simulation stuff; now they're slowly adding the admin. The next update for SQUAD's space program, titled First Contract, will further expand the career mode with a mission system that ties into new Funds and Reputation systems.

"Career Mode is greatly expanded now by the addition of Funds and Reputation," writes SQUAD's Felipe Falanghe . "Funds are required to launch vessels, and reputation is earned (and lost) by doing contracts (or failing them). In this release, your reputation is already used to regulate the level and amount of contracts offered you. Lower reputation means fewer and less prestigious contract offers, while high reputation means more and more ambitious proposals."

The contracts themselves will be available via the Mission Control Facility, and, when completed, will offer additional Science—further boosting Career players up the tech tree.

In addition, Falanghe reveals that First Contract will introduce vessel recovery, letting players reclaim some of the cost of parts; a new mod-friendly UI toolbar that enables easy switching between the messages, resources, currencies and contract panels; and a new tech-tree layout.

For a further look at what First Contract has planned, head to the SQUAD blog .