Player count spoofing

Ihmhi · 10-16-2007, 01:50 PM

I was on this server this morning. It stated that it had as many people in it as you see in the picture in the browser window. When I clicked on view server info, there were repeats of names. Some names were shown twice, some were shown three times.

At first I thought that this was a bug, but now it seems that it is a deliberate falsifying of the number of people on the server. This seems to be the only server that is doing it and/or knows how.

It really sucks to expect a nearly full server and it only has one guy in it idling as "Unassigned". -.-

I also noticed some servers had player counts like 16/14 and such, and I think that they might be possibly related. I find it interesting that a server can have more players than the maximum number of slots it is set up for.

Mooga · 10-16-2007, 04:27 PM

There is a mod that can do that... it's technicly for slot reservation.
I have it installed on my server...

**mervaka** · 10-16-2007, 05:41 PM

would be good for hiding the reserved slots, but it seems rather malicious to do something like this, if this is indeed the case.

10-16-2007, 06:40 PM

Yes, thanks IMHI, for this post.

I have noticed this on several occasions.

This feature seems to be able to list player names on there if you click "Server Info" before joining. Then you connect and there are only 4 people.

Mooga · 10-16-2007, 06:43 PM

http://www.beetlesmod.com/comm/
That's how you do it. I have it disabled on my college's TF2 server because I don't want to confuse people

EquilibriuM · 10-16-2007, 06:48 PM

agreed its false player status on server and its GHEY!

fishBurger · 10-16-2007, 07:11 PM

I hate that server because its got a decent ping and always gets my hopes up.

SoBe Green · 10-16-2007, 10:56 PM

Its a plague not too uncommon in CS 1.6 too. Some people spoof 1-3 servers like this and when you connect to them you end up in a complete other server.

KubeDawg · 10-17-2007, 05:18 AM

I wonder if it affects the actual statistics on the steam web site.

Lt Llama · 10-17-2007, 08:45 AM

Must be hell of a good way to get people to never visit your server again.
I visited that kind of server yesterday + had to download a shitload of custom sounds.

So i connected to an empty ff_aardvark server and 1 minute later i see in chat

Quote:

ADMIN: I'm coming

<3

If servers are empty doesnt mean noone doesnt care about it.
After 10 minutes we where 5 people playing. Ok, no major number, but much better than 0 or a spoofed server.

So you can kick some server to life by just connecting to it, and wait.
Someone put the effort into making a pub server, at least you could visit it and have a look around. It might surprise you as a really nice server after all

.

Ihmhi · 10-17-2007, 12:06 PM

Server Info

Game Monitor speaketh the truth!

I would say that it would be nice to show players pings in the "view server" window, but then someone would probably figure out a way to spoof pings. -_-

GeoKill-----> · 10-20-2007, 07:52 PM

Yeah I notice the same thing in that server but after a couple minutes it gets full. Its a good strategy, I always fall for it and I end up there with 3 people but quickly other join in.

Mooga · 10-21-2007, 09:29 AM

I have a game server and the easiest way to get people in is just to start playing with like 2 other people. within a half hour the server normally stays full for days until i have to re-start it for an upgrade.

EvilIguana966 · 10-21-2007, 07:11 PM

This is my favorite server because it always performs well, but the player count spoofing annoys me to no end. I checked their website and confirmed that it is intentional. Basically, they are cheating the system to draw players. It's not fair for the other servers who actually play by the rules. Sure they could do it too, but then the player count bar in the server browser would become meaningless. If there is some way to stop them I'd be all for it.

SoBe Green · 10-25-2007, 04:52 PM

It isn't fair to server owners. It helps but its a shady practice that I am against. Sadly there isn't anything we can do about it. Its been done for years. This is why I try to find one server and stick to it. If its empty I usually have someone that plays there too on my friends list and can get them in there with me.

barronofhellion · 10-25-2007, 07:11 PM

well, this could be avoided if bots were added, the other player spoofing method

10-16-2007, 01:50 PM	#1
Ihmhi [AE] 0112 Ihmhi SJB Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Newark, NJ, United States Class/Position: A little bit o' everythin' Gametype: Also a little bit o' everythin' Affiliations: [AE] Asseater, SJB Straight Jacket Brigade Posts Rated Helpful 3 Times	Player count spoofing I was on this server this morning. It stated that it had as many people in it as you see in the picture in the browser window. When I clicked on view server info, there were repeats of names. Some names were shown twice, some were shown three times. At first I thought that this was a bug, but now it seems that it is a deliberate falsifying of the number of people on the server. This seems to be the only server that is doing it and/or knows how. It really sucks to expect a nearly full server and it only has one guy in it idling as "Unassigned". -.- I also noticed some servers had player counts like 16/14 and such, and I think that they might be possibly related. I find it interesting that a server can have more players than the maximum number of slots it is set up for. __________________ Support FF: Anime: The Thread: Reloaded The one and only anime thread on these here forums. Select the pistol, and then, select your horse.

10-16-2007, 04:27 PM	#2
Mooga Colorless FTW D&A Member Beta Tester Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: A Small Box Affiliations: SRCDS.com Posts Rated Helpful 1 Times	There is a mod that can do that... it's technicly for slot reservation. I have it installed on my server... __________________ ~ Mooga ...w00t? SRCDS.com \| Twitter

10-16-2007, 05:41 PM	#3
mervaka A Very Sound Guy! Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: May 2005 Location: UK Posts Rated Helpful 15 Times	would be good for hiding the reserved slots, but it seems rather malicious to do something like this, if this is indeed the case. __________________ Support FF:

10-16-2007, 06:43 PM	#5
Mooga Colorless FTW D&A Member Beta Tester Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: A Small Box Affiliations: SRCDS.com Posts Rated Helpful 1 Times	http://www.beetlesmod.com/comm/ That's how you do it. I have it disabled on my college's TF2 server because I don't want to confuse people __________________ ~ Mooga ...w00t? SRCDS.com \| Twitter

10-16-2007, 07:11 PM	#7
fishBurger get off my lawn Join Date: Mar 2007 Class/Position: O scout / demo Gametype: killing Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	I hate that server because its got a decent ping and always gets my hopes up. __________________ That means that either you are an American, or you are NOT an American. There is no hyphenated exception. -Iggy

10-16-2007, 06:40 PM	#4
Poo Puppet Guest Posts Rated Helpful 7 Times	Yes, thanks IMHI, for this post. I have noticed this on several occasions. This feature seems to be able to list player names on there if you click "Server Info" before joining. Then you connect and there are only 4 people.

10-16-2007, 06:48 PM	#6
EquilibriuM G9- D&A Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Florida Class/Position: D Solly,Engy Gametype: ALL Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	agreed its false player status on server and its GHEY!

10-16-2007, 10:56 PM	#8
SoBe Green SoBe Yourself Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Russellville, AR Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	Its a plague not too uncommon in CS 1.6 too. Some people spoof 1-3 servers like this and when you connect to them you end up in a complete other server.

10-17-2007, 05:18 AM	#9
KubeDawg Nade Whore Server Owner Beta Tester Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Oklahoma Class/Position: Scout/Soldier Gametype: CTF/TDM Affiliations: blunt. Moto Posts Rated Helpful 128 Times	I wonder if it affects the actual statistics on the steam web site. __________________ Moto's Funhouse \| Dallas, TX - 74.91.114.247:27015 ff_plunder - Complete

10-17-2007, 12:06 PM	#11
Ihmhi [AE] 0112 Ihmhi SJB Wiki Team Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Newark, NJ, United States Class/Position: A little bit o' everythin' Gametype: Also a little bit o' everythin' Affiliations: [AE] Asseater, SJB Straight Jacket Brigade Posts Rated Helpful 3 Times	Server Info Game Monitor speaketh the truth! I would say that it would be nice to show players pings in the "view server" window, but then someone would probably figure out a way to spoof pings. -_- __________________ Support FF: Anime: The Thread: Reloaded The one and only anime thread on these here forums. Select the pistol, and then, select your horse.

10-20-2007, 07:52 PM	#12
GeoKill-----> Community Member Server Owner Beta Tester Forum Moderator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Hawthorne, California Class/Position: Soldier/Spy/Scout Gametype: AvD Affiliations: :e0:Eternal Order Leader Posts Rated Helpful 12 Times	Yeah I notice the same thing in that server but after a couple minutes it gets full. Its a good strategy, I always fall for it and I end up there with 3 people but quickly other join in. __________________ Fortress-Forever Guides All Your Mapping Needs :e0: Will live on Forever Support FF:

10-21-2007, 09:29 AM	#13
Mooga Colorless FTW D&A Member Beta Tester Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: A Small Box Affiliations: SRCDS.com Posts Rated Helpful 1 Times	I have a game server and the easiest way to get people in is just to start playing with like 2 other people. within a half hour the server normally stays full for days until i have to re-start it for an upgrade. __________________ ~ Mooga ...w00t? SRCDS.com \| Twitter

10-21-2007, 07:11 PM	#14
EvilIguana966 Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	This is my favorite server because it always performs well, but the player count spoofing annoys me to no end. I checked their website and confirmed that it is intentional. Basically, they are cheating the system to draw players. It's not fair for the other servers who actually play by the rules. Sure they could do it too, but then the player count bar in the server browser would become meaningless. If there is some way to stop them I'd be all for it.

10-25-2007, 04:52 PM	#15
SoBe Green SoBe Yourself Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Russellville, AR Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	It isn't fair to server owners. It helps but its a shady practice that I am against. Sadly there isn't anything we can do about it. Its been done for years. This is why I try to find one server and stick to it. If its empty I usually have someone that plays there too on my friends list and can get them in there with me.

10-25-2007, 07:11 PM	#16
barronofhellion Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts Rated Helpful 0 Times	well, this could be avoided if bots were added, the other player spoofing method

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