Question re: TF2 showing me wrong # of players for servers

[Luggage]

For the past few days, something strange is happening.

I refresh my server list in TF2 and hop on to a couple of servers that TF2 shows as having numerous people playing (e.g. 18/24), but when I get in server it is totally empty.   This has happened several times and happens in all kinds of different servers with differerent numbers of people playing.  When I leave the empty server, I refresh my server list and the same bloody server still shows a bunch of people playing.   What's going on?

[crazydog]

Fake clients.

The server spoofs clients to make it look like people are connected. These servers USUALLY eventually get delisted. There's a blacklist out there you can put in your blacklist file to block most of them.

It could also be redirecting you to another server right when you connect.


Here's some blacklist files:
http://tf2app.com/blacklist/lists.php

I recommend "The No-Nonsense List". Just download that, and drop it in team fortress 2\tf2\cfg\
(You want the "Official in-game blacklist version" if you pick a different one)

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