New gunship design (XAQ-1B “Blackout”)
Work on the new gunship design started in late November 2025. MicroProse is helping with art, but the broad direction and constraints were on me. I wanted it to feel futuristic, but still semi-feasible.
Old school AC-130 style is not viable in a future where anti-air is widespread. The new design needed stealth.
I spent time reading about stealth aircraft design, and it is very limiting in practice:
Heat and engine placement matter, so the engine needs to be buried inside the body. No big sci-fi wingtip engines.
VTOL is complex and not essential for Drone Sector, so I cut it.
Anything sticking out (especially gun barrels) hurts radar stealth, so the weapons are hidden behind panels that open and close similarly to landing gear doors or internal missile bays.
It is unmanned for a mix of theme and practical scope reasons.
I named the project Drone Sector long ago, before I was even 100% sure if the gunship would be a drone or a piloted aircraft. But as the design evolved, going unmanned started making more sense.
From a development standpoint it also simplifies the 3D scope. A full cockpit interior, canopy glass, pilot details, and all the extra visuals would have been doable, but it is a lot of extra work for very little payoff. Instead the forward section is sealed and covered by panels, which also fits the stealth look.
And honestly, it matches the tone. A fully autonomous gunship is not just practical. It is also cool and very unsettling!
In gameplay terms, the implied idea is that you (the player) are the AI running the gunship during combat.
The hangar space will be expanded.
Game modes plan
While building research progression, weapon unlocks, ammo production, and the save/load system, I ended up formalizing how different ways of playing should work. The current plan is two main modes, plus training missions.
Career mode
The full progression experience. Research, unlocks, and ammo management are part of the core loop. You move from easier to harder missions with limited mission choice. The goal is to make it through the campaign without losing the gunship. Losing it means your faction lost its most valuable weapon system.
Sandbox mode
A customizable mode for different play styles. Examples:
Disable enemy AA.
Set up a wave defense without larger objectives.
Reduce or remove ammo constraints.
Pick any map, change objectives, and customize enemy composition.
Training missions
Tutorial-style missions focused on one system at a time. Each mission would disable unrelated systems so it is easier to learn.
What’s Next
I will keep working on the out-of-mission layer for a bit longer, before returning to mission gameplay.
What do you think of the new gunship design?
Ingmar Trump
Solo Developer