Ostfront or Virtual East Front (VEF) is on-line command game based on IL-2 Sturmovik simulator. This is the place where virtual Luftwaffe and Red Air force squadrons are meeting in combat in realistic environment.
VEF
It's already v.2.0, 2 month ago we've finished War circle, was epic battle over Berlin. Now it's June '41 again, and we're rebuilding system.
This is not just dogfighting, we’re recreating ww2 air war. This is how it was working last CE (now VEF engine is a little bit changed) , at first VEF HQ guys create mission based on current war situation and upload it on our server; example- 23 June 1942, kuban area, Axis forces goal – panzer battalion must take village and clear area around nearby airfield, Read Army goal – prevent Axis advance and counterattack them. HQ guys create all ground forces and assign their missions, setting up weather and other factors. Then Luftwaffe and Soviet AF HQs (2-3 sqn. leaders) plan what their squadrons will participate, what they will do to support ground forces and send mission assignments (free hunt, patrol area and time, escort, ground attack etc.) to the acting sqn.leaders, who instructing other pilots. Sometimes one side wins only because of better-planed missions. Then the real action begins.
On big missions we have 2-3 squadrons on each side (LW guys are acting as staffels/groups of particular JG/SG/KG and SAF pilots as IAP/ShIAPs squadrons), but it doesn’t mean that one side cannot get numerical superiority over the other, I remember one sortie when I arrived to my patrol area near Smolensk with my flight of four Yak-1B and met there 12 Bf-109G-6 from II/JG54, hopefully we were above them and noticed them first in the gap between clouds, I’ve lost only one my wingmen, didn’t score any kills but scratched their leader, later he told me that he wasn’t able to continue fighting because of oil on his windscreen, he was almost blind.
We’re flying in full realism mode and even piloting itself quite problematic, navigation mistakes, losing formation in heavy clouds, operational losses (on my first sortie on VEF I’ve chopped off my leader’s tail with propeller on take off… he was very upset
) In FB addon engine management became even more complicated, radiator, oil radiotar, propeller step, turbocharger, busting systems, fuel pressure, even magneto and many other important things are manually controlled and in harsh dogfighting it is very hard to do all these at once, only in IL-2:FB I’ve realized what benefits German pilots had, on Bf-109 many basic control system were fully automatic and pilot was able to concentrate solely on combat, I think it’s more important than even 109’s outstanding climb rate. When you’re flying aircraft like Yak-1, LaGG-3 or even P-40 you can’t leave all those gauges without attention, 1/3 of time in combat you’re looking at those gauges, it’s hard but utterly realistic.
“Il-2: Forgotten Battles” is the best simulator right now, look at all those awards at official site. Some quotes from reviews:
"The first "classic" sim of the century. The Best World War II flight simulator ever!"
“I wish that there was a better word to use other than 'best' to describe IL2. However, IL2 is just that, the best. Whether you are a flight-sim fan, WW2 fan, or just interested in a flying game, skip the rest and play IL2. You won’t be disappointed."
"For combat flight sim enthusiasts, IL-2 Sturmovik is a dream"
"If you are even remotely considering getting a WW2 flight sim IL2 should be at the top of your list. It is better than anything out there. I’ve flown the rest, and now I’ve flown the best."
"Benchmark in Flight-Sim Technology."
"You won't find better under PC's sky!"
"IL-2 Sturmovik is a vitamin injection of originality, putting the sheer joy of flying back into combat flight simulation. It's an experience you do not want to miss."
"a dream in every simmer's eyes" "Utterly fantastic"
VEF gives you as realistic combat environment as possible. Last Saturday I was flying as flight leader with my friends from 211th IAP, I was flying all night (in VEF all day 22 june 1941), made 6 sorties, in the morning I got 2 kills (Ju-87B) + 1 shared kill (also Ju-87) and damaged 1 Bf-109E over Dubniza, 10 miles south from Lvov, but at 18:45 I was shot down myself, pair of Bf-109F-2 from II/JG77 bounced me, it was a classic attack - 6’oclock high from the sun, I was ready to land, already got a permission (sneaky bastards), my LaGG-3 lost right wing and left stabilizer, I saw them flying away from my aircraft with something else also important, hopefully I’ve managed to bail out.
Next day when I was rereading one book about air war during opening moves of the war, I’ve got an amazing feeling – “I’ve been there”. Il2 + VEF is terrific experience.
Soon many PTO aircraft will be modeled and two enthusiasts are already doing map of Guadalcanal area for 8/42-2/43 virtual campaign
I suppose you’re kidding. 
Impressive! I have one kid and I thought I’m good at free time management, being able to play UV, fly with my IL-2 Sturmovik squadron on virtual Ostfront, but 2 kids and third on the way… I would probably miss even those monkeys! 
