Thanks, that is pretty much the intended effect as I found first impression matters a lot in the indie game scene. Even if you have a robust gameplay system, it wouldn't be anything if the players are turn off from the get go.
Now, my current progress.
This is my spaceship (fully kitted with weapons and thrusters) sprite (32px scaled up to 96px for viewing convenience).
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/qr4z8bo.png" border="0" />
Now with existing base spaceship sprites, weapon system sprites and thrusters sprites, I can churn out a variety of spaceships ASAP like RPGmaker Sprite Creator. Feel pretty good about it myself.
Oh yeah, a bit more about the spaceships in my game. You get to kit and customize them ala Front mission 3 style where your choice of space ship body generate a amount of energy. You will spent this energy by slotting in weapon system, thrusters and misc system such as repair beam, tractor beam, shielding room, elite targeting system, etc. And of course, these things also cost money.
All these choice is intended to force the player to make a choice between a specialized repair ship with low attack or a specialized attack ship with strong attacks and fast movement to get to sweet position in the battlefield.
To these effects, there will be three manufacturers for the equipment in the demo.
They are:
Enigma Technology Inc - Ship Body Manufacturer. Also provide misc systems to boost defense and repair.
Blackwell Corporation - Weapons Manufacturer. Also provide misc systems to boost damage to specific parts.
Hess Advanced Frontiers - Thrusters Manufacturer. Also Manufacturer of most misc systems available.