CS: How did you make the move into simulation design? WHat is your role in the design and production process of IAC?

Aviv: Ramy, Pixel CEO and myself fly in the same squadron. I was doing my BA study when one day I bumped into Warbirds on the Net. A few days later Ramy and I where scheduled for Alert duty for the weakend: we sit near our planes in our flight suit and G suit ready for take off in any emergency situation.

We started talking and Ramy told me that Pixel is going to enter the simulation games field. I talked about the importance of flying against real people to get real adrenaline pumping in a game. From that point one thing led to another so I got carried away into designing the IAC product.

My roles in the IAC production have started in designing the Avionics and weapon system of the game. Then starting the synopsis for the campaigns in the game, the AI engine design and managing all the content and design team of the game. As you already know I was not alone in the process:

Ramy and the other pilots in the company have taken a very important role in the game design. And Of course Mrs. Yael Amir our Executive Producer, to her we must give the credit for connecting us pilots back to reality and doing an amazing job on putting us through the very tight time schedule milestones towards the planed gold master date in August.

CS: Are there features in IAF that you consider cutting edge and why?

Aviv: Main things are the video like realistic terrain. Although Fighter Legends has great graphics, their tile engine looks like it was taken out of a red alert game, giving the game a more "cartoonist" general look. No other flightsim today gives you throughout the feeling of flying over real mother earth.

The Air to Air combat: atmosphere and combat is one of the best in the market, the AI can do some special IAF doctrines maneuvers that you do not find in other games. I did not find a modern Jet game where the Air to Air combat has been so good as the USNF - ATF series. We tried to achieve better realism in weapons and flight models and still to maintain the great combat atmosphere of those games.

Click to continue . . .

IAC F4 cockpit: Click for larger image.

We also supply great multi player options the most important one I think is the ability to fly all the campaign missions together taking several roles in the strike package.

The second most important one is the all out war game the head to head each player for himself without any AI so you know that who you fight against are humans who try to take you out any way they can. This mode was first designed to be a guns only mode so you can really test your flight skill. Eventually we allowed the use of missiles in order to make the game more fun for intermediate players.

Finally, authentic historical missions over authentic terrain.

CS: Is it common for Israeli pilots to fly PC simulations?

Aviv: It is very common especially for young pilots. A lot of the cadets these days come to the IAF with a very good base knowledge of what are flight controls, what are flight dynamics, they understand radar and missiles. All that base knowledge is coming out of playing the new area of flight sims.

CS: What are some of your personal favorites on the PC?

I have started on my wife's MAC with F18 2.0 and A-10 Cuba. Then as I mentioned before I have moved on to Warbirds.

On the PC I have started with USNF and ATF for multi player head to head combat. Today my favorites are:

F-18 Korea - being the best challenge; F-15 Jane's - great graphics, over realism and amazing AI engine. (Although I find the missions too easy.) Sim guild Flying Circus this is where I test my skills against other humans without the hassle of running Warbirds.

I am still waiting for a good WW2 or WW1 flight sim - I think Fighter Legends is going to be a good candidate. (Did I mention IAC - definitely one of the games I play a lot theses days!)

CS: Thanks for your time Aviv, and we wish you success with IAC!