Bringing kerbals to life, making them more than a science experiment.

[running]

First of all:

I realize that this is something I would like to see. Maybe I'm alone in that but I honestly don't think so.

The game I was playing fanatically before I installed KSP was XCOM enemy unknown, so that might explain the following a little bit...

I'd really like to see some kind of progression in my Kerbonauts.

I want to have to think about who I send on the next mission... maybe an experienced pilot and a fresh co pilot.

Feel the pain when I loose an experienced mission specialist due to an unforeseen explosion.

Gaining something by taking the effort to bring all my kerbals back from a mission on a far away moon instead of just one with the science reports.

I already play KSP like that but it would be great to have something that validates it.

Now there have been suggestions along these lines before. have Kerbal skill have an influence on rocket performance, science returns etc.

I'm not 100% sure how to implement the effects of experience into the missions. I don't like the idea of random explosions, magical better fuel consumption rates and other things that work better when a computer does the work instead of a lump of biomass. In a lot of cases it's the player that does the piloting and it's the player that gains experience.

I think the ones that make most sense are the science returns and possibly reputation.

A minimum experience level (total of kerbals in the module/rocket) to operate certain modules (the lab, the bigger capsules, instruments etc.)

In my mind this is the one major feature that is still missing in KSP.

If squad can't/won't implement it... would there be a mod that can provide this?