Hello everyone! Welcome back to Blueprints, where I explain some of the design decisions of Aerostrike. In this issue, I will explain a bit about the design of the main ship of the game, the Aerostrike.

So far in Blueprints I have explained many aspects of the various enemy ships in the game. How they are each built with a specific setup in mind. They are effectively static designs that do not change, they always remain the same. If improvements are made, they become a new ship. This is both true in gameplay as it is in the lore of the game. The Brawler was redesigned internally to fit rocket launchers, becoming the Wrestler. The Wrestler was fully recreated into a more combat-effective frame, becoming the Hunter. However, what would happen if the ship itself could be improved? What would happen if a ship was allowed to change itself?

The answer was the MF-01 Aerostrike, a modular fighter prototype. The core idea of the ship is that it can easilly equip any weapons adapted for it, and freely utilize them all at will. It gives the ship the capacity to adapt to any given situation, cover any role that it is required to. It also works as the basis for the game's metroidvania gameplay design. A ship that can acquire more gear as it finds it, which in turn allow it to surpass more obstacles. It gets stronger over time, turning the game into a sort of arms race between it and the opponents.

From there, it is up to the player to utilize the tools provided to adapt to each encounter and come out on top. Learn what they can do with their ship. Attack with weapons that are effective against their enemies, block attacks with their forward shield, reposition with their boost thrusters. They become the final ingredient to bring about the Aerostrike's full potential. As the Aerostrike grows stronger, so too must they grow wiser and adapt to the ever-changing skies. Underground bases count as sky, right?

So now the stage is set. We have a protagonist and a vast array of opponents. All that is left is to have them face each other. So, how are battles even created? Are they organized, balanced, or is it all just random ideas thrown together? Join me next issue to find out. Stay safe, Pilots!