We wanted to give everyone an update on some of the stuff we have been working on for v0.9.7. This will get a bit technical so if you are not interested in modding the game or running mods in the future, you can safely skip the rest of what you are about to read!
Starting in v0.9.7, coming later this Winter, we will begin shipping Farthest Frontier with the standard IL2CPP version alongside what is known as a Mono build (located in a folder aptly named Farthest Frontier (Mono)). The Mono build will offer modders much better access to the game’s data so that you can tinker with it in ways that have been cumbersome or downright impossible before. However, it may cause degraded performance in some cases/PCs, so we are not making this the default option.
You will have the ability to select which version runs when launching the game from your Steam Library, with the standard IL2CPP executable running by default.
When launching the mono build, it will automatically also activate a compatible version of Melon Loader (which will come preinstalled within the Mono build). You will see the Melon Loader output window running alongside the game.
The Mono build will allow you to install and run mods off of the Steam Workshop, including support for Melon Loader-based modifications. These mods will be installed to the Farthest Frontier (Mono)/Mods directory.
As you can expect, achievements will be disabled in the moddable version of the game (until some cheaters mod that out I guess).
Similarly, while we are excited to support your modding endeavors now and into the future, Crate is not responsible for any modifications you install, nor their compatibility with the game. If an update breaks a mod, please do not report it as a bug to us! 
If you are interested in modding, we definitely recommend reading up on the Melon Loader official documentation as it is quite thorough. Once you have created and tested your mod, you will be able to use the (updated with v0.9.7) Farthest Frontier Mod Tools that are automatically added to your Steam library with your copy of the game.
Note: any existing mods made for the IL2CPP version of the game (such as those already found on NexusMods), will not be compatible with the new Mono build and will require an update.
