I love this concept! It's a really interesting way to split up the gameplay loop. I also like your models. I did have some issues with not being able to see the enemy ships before they were right up on me. I wonder if shifting the camera view to be a little more of an angle while in the ship could help this, or maybe just pull the camera up a bit would help see the enemies before they hit me. Either way, I really like this idea and I look forward to seeing the released game!