Servers giving fake player numbers?

[Crispy]

Just recently I've been finding it impossible to find a good server (vanilla respawn, crits on or off, no crappy custom sounds, a proper map cycle consisting of more than 3 levels) if the ones I normally go on are empty.

First off, why the hell are there so many shitty fastrespawn servers all of a sudden? If I filter for populated servers with the best ping, fastrespawn servers seem to make up the top 10-20. A lot of these also aren't displaying the 'fastrespawn' tag in the tags column on the in-game server browser.

But my main gripe is that when I do find a server that seems populated (e.g. 13/24 players), I'll join to find only 3, 4 or sometimes even no other players on the server. If I refresh my server list (not quick refresh) and even if I manually refresh the individual server it still comes up with the same stats. For some reason the stats shown on the server browser do not reflect the real current server data.

So what the hell is causing this? Is anyone else getting it? It's either a problem with the server browser itself not updating properly, or it's something these servers are doing to show ghost players on their servers.

If nobody else is getting it it may just be down to a bad Steam update on my PC only, but if others are getting it, I'd like to know.

 

[Operational]

So what the hell is causing this?

It's a deliberate tactic to get more people in their server.

I'm not getting this issue but that's probably due to how most game servers in Australia are run by ISPs.
But you are not alone, the Steam Forums have many complaints regarding this issue.

no crappy custom sounds

You can prevent the downloading of custom sounds in the Options -> Multiplayer menu

 

[Lobster]

I have been having this same problem with a specific server I like to play on, there has been alot of chatter about it on the steam forums, I cant say if its a recent bug between the server and the master server, or if it is a deliberate attempt by the owner to fill servers (I think this is unlikely as the numbers keep changing).

As for finding Vanilla servers, I have a few favorites with standard game rules, but they do tend to rotate on specific maps, either a single map or a rotation of say payload and dustbowl, finding an "all maps" with people in it seems difficult.

The problem is that alot of large server operators now seem obsessed with maintaining 24/7 popularity, so the maps and modes that tend to fill up get stuck on rotation, and the ones that somtimes empty the server get removed.

I hate fastrespawn aswell and im so sick of seeing admin mods that give people points that spam my screen, somtimes when I do find a great server ill play for a map, then bam it cycles to Super-Untextured-Spam-Box-3000.

Its just one of the side effects of having an active custom community, there are vanilla servers out there, you just have to find them and stick to them.

 

[Laivasse]

Server browsing is a real pain. I dunno how hard it can be to put an accurate description of the server type in the name or tags, but it seems many admins can't handle that.

I joined 'East Coast TF2' the other day, which had no tags. I was hoping for a nice vanilla game, but I had set it to disallow cusom content downloads anyway - well the next thing I know, in the connection status window I see I'm downloading models for what seems to be a ****ing GRENADE mod! I quickly d/c'ed, but afterwards I was refused connection to all 'pure' servers because I had dodgy custom models in my game folder, so I had to find and delete those. I mean, ffs. /end rant

 

[Iron_cube]

I'm so glad I've only been to the same vanilla no-bullshit server since the very beta, it almost sounds like a freaking challenge for you people to find one.

 

[Omnomnick]

Havn't played TF2 in about a week, thanks to my computer. But I was getting the annoying problem before that...

 

[PriNcE oF SpAcE]

I can't stand the gay ass bot servers, what a ****ing waste of my time.
also you really have to question the admins intelligence because the tactic is obviously not working since any sane person do like I do and leave the server as soon as they find out it's an empty bot server.

also **** retarded custom sounds, shit admins need to get it into their thick skulls that nobody thinks they're cool.

if you want quake/ut sounds and fast respawn then host a ****ing quake/ut server and stop cluttering up my tf2 serverlist you goddamn freaks.

/rant

 

[Omnomnick]

Its not that they contain bots, its just some servers count the SourceTV spectators as players.

Which is annoying if it says '17/24' and you go then you join and its like '12/24' :|

 

[PriNcE oF SpAcE]

either way it's gay.

 

[Crispy]

Well it's reassuring to hear I'm not the only one, but annoying to hear everyone's having the same problem.

As for so few vanilla servers (fastrespawn and 1-to-3 map mapcycles are what most piss me off most), I am just perplexed that so many people prefer these game modes. Either that or they're just too complacent to actively seek out god servers.

 

[Operational]

1-to-3 map mapcycles are what most piss me off most

Best servers when it comes to map cycles, IMO, are the ones that have a bunch of maps and just enable map voting.

 

[mocho loco]

fake player numbers piss me off so bad **** those guys!

 

[Lobster]

Best servers when it comes to map cycles, IMO, are the ones that have a bunch of maps and just enable map voting.

Agreed, surely this would be the most popular setup, as whoever is playing gets to decide what they play, rather than guessing what everyone likes.

 

[Crispy]

Agreed, surely this would be the most popular setup, as whoever is playing gets to decide what they play, rather than guessing what everyone likes.

Ideal in principal, but so many servers fill their vote options with crap custom maps (as opposed to the good custom maps that should be getting the attention).

This whole issue of scarcity of good servers gives me an idea, which I'll get round to this weekend hopefully.

 

[Polaris]

Yes, I'm the issue described. It makes me sick.

All custom content should be banned by Valve, srsly.

 

[kineaesth]

When it happens, it's awful. On a more positive note, I just found an Australian vanilla server, no HLStats, with a rotation of Dust, Gravel, Badwater, Gold and Steel :thumbs:

 

[DEATH eVADER]

This occurs in Garrysmod, generally this is done so the Server can transmit a virus

 

[DEATHMASTER]

also get it in CS: S

 

[hool10]

Back in the day I was a complete nub at everything having to do with computer gaming. One day I found out there was a screenshot folder so I opened it up. Well 1 picture was in there and it was in first person. Well right at the double doors in de_dust some guy had his knife out and just got a HS on a guy with him flying back with blood spewing out. Well the person that was killed was me and I can only assume the admin somehow sent me the picture. Makes you wonder what can they send while you mindlessly play the game. Meanwhile the admin is d/l'ing sensitive files off your computer or deleting them.

Back in the WON days, often times the server would say "we must check your computer for cheats and scan your game folder. Press 1 to continue". A few seconds later it would let you in, you could actively see what folders they were searching as well, but it freaked me out always because idk if they could put a virus on your comp, etc. It was necessary to play on 99% of servers though.

Sometimes you will get massive amounts of songs. By songs I mean full songs and even sometimes entire albums d/l'd to your computer! Isn't that piracy?

What I also hate is the same sound but it's named differently.

Some sounds are funny and some are quite strange including foreign servers downloading their stuff.

The mods that used to turn you into a chicken or Llama in CS. In de_Italy you could stand next to a chicken and avoid being killed.

Also I hate the 29/30 servers and you just know that last slot is reserved. Some servers reserve 6 slots for paying members so it's like 24/30 which really bugs you.

 

[ríomhaire]

I have yet to play any plugin/mod/server setting that I preffered over the vanilla game. Please just have servers with all the offical maps, map voting and unchanged gameplay.

 

[Operational]

This occurs in Garrysmod, generally this is done so the Server can transmit a virus

GMod viruses are a thing of the past and even then they were more annoying than actually harmful.

Meanwhile the admin is d/l'ing sensitive files off your computer or deleting them.

Impossible.

 

[kineaesth]

I have yet to play any plugin/mod/server setting that I preffered over the vanilla game. Please just have servers with all the offical maps, map voting and unchanged gameplay.

Partially agree. Every so often dustbowl instaspawn is fun.

 

[Druckles]

2 and 4.

I believe it gives a representation not necessarily incorrectly, but late.

 

[Crispy]

Made a thread so we can try to find some decent servers to play on.