Just read the threads

Originally posted by B.n.B Steve:

Just read the threads

yeah. find better servers if you can, or play with your friends. NEVER play fastpath. if you see anyone telling you to play fastpash, ignore them.

My thread contains a lot of material on why FastPath should not be allowed to operate as they* currently do, such as with how FastPath spoofs player data...
https://steamcommunity.com/app/320/discussions/0/569288501510662280/

And Mr. Brev - one of the most well-renowned hl2dm/source developers of all time - had this to say in a 2025 thread, which I also quoted in the above thread that I made in 2026...
https://steamcommunity.com/app/320/discussions/0/604157441922315012/#c604157520750083770

Originally posted by Peter Brev:

Disregard any recommendations for FastPath.

Instead, look for a server that is handpicked, community-vetted, and ready for competitive or casual play at https://www.hl2dm.com/community. This ensures you're playing on trusted servers.

A quick search for fastpath reveals why you should not be playing there.

If you need some real proof:

• Fake player count and bots not marked as bots in the server browsers.[i.imgur.com]
  
• status command nuked, hiding the ability to see who are real players and who are not.[i.imgur.com]

That is just some of the visible part that you any player can easily see. Those are hard, cold, proven facts.

Other facts if you care to look:

1. Fake Server Listings and Redirects
   FastPath operates numerous fake servers that appear in the server browser. These servers often mimic popular server names or maps to lure players. Upon joining, players are redirected to a central FastPath server, often without their consent. This tactic misleads players and clutters the server list, making it challenging to find legitimate servers.
   
   
2. Exploitation of Steam Authentication Tickets
   When a player connects to a FastPath server, their Steam authentication ticket is harvested and retained. This allows FastPath to spoof the presence of real players across their fake servers, making them appear more populated than they are. This manipulation can persist for up to five days, even after the player has disconnected.
   
   
3. Misrepresentation of Server Data
   In addition to fake player counts and bots, FastPath servers often display additional falsified information, including ping times, and map names. This deception can mislead players into thinking they're joining active, low-latency servers, only to find themselves in sparsely populated or bot-filled environments.
   
   
4. Monetization Through Deceptive Practices
   There have been reports of FastPath banning players and then requesting payment for unbanning them. Such practices are unethical and exploit players who may have unknowingly connected to these servers.
   
   
5. Community Disruption
   The proliferation of FastPath's fake servers disrupts the HL2DM community by overshadowing genuine servers. This not only hampers the growth of authentic communities but also degrades the overall player experience.

Basically, you got 2 or 3 punks around the community pushing their deceptive servers whereas the rest of the community, all games included, recommends avoiding those servers.

And, it should be noted that their most egregious practice of using 'redirection servers' remains just as pervasive and destructive in other Source games as those fake-servers were here, in hl2dm. Other games don't have someone as persistent or persuasive as 'Newguy' in them, so while the voice I gave to all the talented hl2dm server owners/developers helped to quell redirection servers in this game, we still have yet to reach other source games.

Given how it's the source engine being manipulated, this is a Valve problem, but they are lethargic and prone to inaction. Only by being persistently 'loud' on this issue can we, the 'real' gamers of the Source community, invoke meaningful change.

Originally posted by Your Boi:

Ignore the haters, it's the same few people every time and most of them are competing server owners

Fastpath is a fun server to play on and they abide by all of Valve's rules. The claim that they steal your steam auth ticket has literally never been proven

Some of the things that Fastpath does and gets hate for are done by multiple other servers but they DON'T get any hate for it. Some of the haters even do the exact same things on their own servers

Firstly I have removed your ridiculous formatting.

The FP haters as you call them, or normal server owners as we call them, have valid points and arguments, some FP fanboys cant see the wood for the trees.

FastPath have in previous posts eluded to using dodgy practices and no, other servers DO NOT use the same BS as used by FP.

Originally posted by FastPath Admin:

Originally posted by B.n.B Steve:

Really?

Stealing server names and using your fake servers to redirect to your main server
Stealing players ID's and tickets
Faking stats to show the server full of real players when it is mainly bots
Pay to play scams
Server going to close if you dont pay a "ransom" to keep it open....

Need I go on?

All time same answer where is problem ? Faking stat that good stealing player id that good you can make the same if you are jealous.

Originally posted by Same FastPath Admin:

Where is problem make a donation we can be invisible, invicible etc it's pay to win

Check on Gametracker, as I have posted several times and you have chosen to ignore, and see what other servers are banned from being tracked because they fake clients.

https://www.gametracker.com/server_info/164.132.201.109:27017/

Originally posted by Your Boi:

Fastpath is a fun server to play on and they abide by all of Valve's rules. The claim that they steal your steam auth ticket has literally never been proven

1. You are using fake plugins list, with "Alliedmodders LLC" as author. Like 100% of plugins. Very strange behavior;
2. Status is banned to use, not normal behavior;
3. Once you are standing AFK - your player plays itself automatically. I did not asked to do that, but have feature to turn it off... OK?

Since all plugins of sourcemod are under GPLv3 license - show us the source code of all plugins in server, author and list of real plugins. All of the plugins must be .sp format and have 0 issues with compilation to recreate your server with no effort.

If you not following it - your server is not safe and arguably malicious, by default.

] sm plugins list
"Basic Chat" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Team Switch" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Game Mode" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Basic Comm Control" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Fun Commands" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Quests" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Basic Info Triggers" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Reserved Slots" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Basic Votes" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Steam" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Servers" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Manage maps" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Stats" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Fun Votes" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Players Votes" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Chats" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Basic Ban Commands" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Secure server" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Sound Commands" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Admin Help" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Admin Menu" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Anti-Flood" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"BotsSystem" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Admin File Reader" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"FastRespawn" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Basic Commands" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
"Player Commands" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
================================
] meta list
[01] SourceMod (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
[02] SDK Tools (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
[03] SDK Hooks (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC
[04] Bots System (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders
[05] Detour (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders
================================
] sm exts list
"Automatic Updater" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC: Updates SourceMod gamedata files
"Webternet" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC: Extension for interacting with URLs
"SDK Tools" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC: Source SDK Tools
"BinTools" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC: Low-level C/C++ Calling API
"Top Menus" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders: Creates sorted nested menus
"SDK Hooks" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC: Source SDK Hooks
"GeoIP" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC: Geographical IP information
"Bots System" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders: Bots System
"Detour" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders: Detour
"MySQL-DBI" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC: MySQL driver implementation for DBI
================================

That's funny asf. Show the source code guys.
What in the world is:
"BotsSystem" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC,
"Quests" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC,
"Secure server" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC,
"Steam" (1.13.0.7259) by AlliedModders LLC

Originally posted by B.n.B Steve:

Originally posted by Your Boi:

Ignore the haters, it's the same few people every time and most of them are competing server owners

Fastpath is a fun server to play on and they abide by all of Valve's rules. The claim that they steal your steam auth ticket has literally never been proven

Some of the things that Fastpath does and gets hate for are done by multiple other servers but they DON'T get any hate for it. Some of the haters even do the exact same things on their own servers

Firstly I have removed your ridiculous formatting.

The FP haters as you call them, or normal server owners as we call them, have valid points and arguments, some FP fanboys cant see the wood for the trees.

FastPath have in previous posts eluded to using dodgy practices and no, other servers DO NOT use the same BS as used by FP.

"and no, other servers DO NOT use the same BS as used by FP."
Actuelly, they do.
Saigns uses player names for their bots, and Bouncyball redirects players to their server by hosting "fake" maps which appear normal when played on there, but are actually empty and immediately redirect you to their server when you try to play them from the "create server" button in the main menu
And there's multiple servers that rely on donations to keep going

Originally posted by F2PKI FPTyel ☮:

Originally posted by Your Boi:

Fastpath is a fun server to play on and they abide by all of Valve's rules. The claim that they steal your steam auth ticket has literally never been proven

1. You are using fake plugins list, with "Alliedmodders LLC" as author. Like 100% of plugins. Very strange behavior;
2. Status is banned to use, not normal behavior;
3. Once you are standing AFK - your player plays itself automatically. I did not asked to do that, but have feature to turn it off... OK?

Since all plugins of sourcemod are under GPLv3 license - show us the source code of all plugins in server, author and list of real plugins. All of the plugins must be .sp format and have 0 issues with compilation to recreate your server with no effort.

If you not following it - your server is not safe and arguably malicious, by default.

1. Fastpath is not my server and I don't have access to the source code, so I can't tell you what's going on there
2. There are many other servers which ban certain console commands from showing info about them. Some servers even block you from being able to see the plugin list entirely
3. There's many people which enjoy that feature, since it means players still have something to play against despite the person being AFK. If it's not your thing that's perfectly fine and you can find another server to play on, but there's no reason to act like it's shady

Originally posted by Your Boi:

Actuelly, they do.
Saigns uses player names for their bots, and Bouncyball redirects players to their server by hosting "fake" maps which appear normal when played on there, but are actually empty and immediately redirect you to their server when you try to play them from the "create server" button in the main menu
And there's multiple servers that rely on donations to keep going

Saigns is another bot filled lame server just like fastpath as mentioned in other posts and threads. So what is your point there?

What you are quoting above is basically false. Every server that uses bots has them named but not necessarily REAL players names and the certainly dont steal your ID as has already been confirmed in another post by one of the FastPath admins (see post 5 quoting the man in pink). My bots have names but are also preceded by the word [bot], other servers have no "Clan" against their bots but by the names it is quite clear that they are not real. Again see post 5 where Fastpath are the one server that Gametracker wont rank because of the following:-

"GAME SERVER RANKING
This server has been detected to report fake or idle clients and it is not eligible to be ranked. "

Funny that you were redirected on Bouncyball because I just joined straight onto the map that it said it was in the maplist. I think you must have been on a FP redirect server They got you there....

Not every server begs for donations like FP including a post here that ended up getting deleted by the Mods, or claims that unless they get donations by the end of every month, the server will close down... if only it did.

Originally posted by B.n.B Steve:

Originally posted by Your Boi:

Actuelly, they do.
Saigns uses player names for their bots, and Bouncyball redirects players to their server by hosting "fake" maps which appear normal when played on there, but are actually empty and immediately redirect you to their server when you try to play them from the "create server" button in the main menu
And there's multiple servers that rely on donations to keep going

Saigns is another bot filled lame server just like fastpath as mentioned in other posts and threads. So what is your point there?

What you are quoting above is basically false. Every server that uses bots has them named but not necessarily REAL players names and the certainly dont steal your ID as has already been confirmed in another post by one of the FastPath admins (see post 5 quoting the man in pink). My bots have names but are also preceded by the word [bot], other servers have no "Clan" against their bots but by the names it is quite clear that they are not real. Again see post 5 where Fastpath are the one server that Gametracker wont rank because of the following:-

"GAME SERVER RANKING
This server has been detected to report fake or idle clients and it is not eligible to be ranked. "

Funny that you were redirected on Bouncyball because I just joined straight onto the map that it said it was in the maplist. I think you must have been on a FP redirect server They got you there....

Not every server begs for donations like FP including a post here that ended up getting deleted by the Mods, or claims that unless they get donations by the end of every month, the server will close down... if only it did.

"GAME SERVER RANKING
This server has been detected to report fake or idle clients and it is not eligible to be ranked. " is all i need to know now, actually justified controversy ngl

Originally posted by FastPath Fanbois:

Refusing to read the posts of any thread about FastPath, while using some obnoxious as f♥♥♥ formatting

All of you FastPath Admins (or w/e) need to read Mr. Brev's post that I quoted, look at the images, and then either admit you need to rethink your blind support of FastPath, show me how I am wrong, or stop f♥♥♥♥♥♥ spamming nonsense deflections.

And, for convenience, here is the post:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/320/discussions/0/604157441922315012/#c604157520750083770
Image proof (from that^ post) of data-scrape-stealing:
https://i.imgur.com/j1bbmeV.png
Status command blocked proof:
https://i.imgur.com/i7C2ZFW.jpeg

And again, these people will NEVER supply content from FastPath that looks like this...
SoCal CTF Night:
https://hevdm.site.nfoservers.com/ryk/HL2DM%20-%20CTF%20Chaos.mp4
Or this...
eFPS 1v1 tournament:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMwYlQXx9Bk

So all the 'FastPath hate' is related to FastPath being fake and disingenuous.

They should just label their bots, stop using sourceTV demo data to make said bots appear human, stop using AFK clients as bots, stop scraping and using ANY player data of any kind for 'spoofing,' stop asking for money in-game through the MOTD browser, and then we will have NO confusion in seeing their server for what it actually is: a zombie lobby of bots. And that would be fair.

Also, as a side note, the people who play FastPath are not able to be 'good' at this game (objectively speaking,) and I think they know this, which is why they like bots. None of those people would score anything meaningful in a SF/eFPS league server scrimmage game, but I would love to be shown that I am in error with my ‘evaluations.’ I am also willing to bet that the regulars at Lokis or Steve's servers and other 'casual' pubs would also prove to be objectively better than FastPath fanbois in such an environment, but yeah, that's all beside the real point.

Although, real money tournaments can only be played against real people...
https://hl2dm.everythingfps.com/
Feel free to talk to Dallas about low-grav or spookface-only hl2dm divisions, he does like the dallas cowboys, but he's not a terrible person.

So, to be clear, I am fine with real people making real content. Senior Slayers and even some of B.n.B Steve's servers have me banned for what they might argue was 'pr0turd' behavior, which is a more derisive term for a 'try-hard.' But they are real. I know their real names. I have heard their voices 'talk crap' to me. Their games are with real people having real hl2dm moments with real connections. FastPath is the antithesis of such an experience.

And that's why FastPath needs to stop breaking Valve's rules EDIT: which is the core reason for any 'controversy' surrounding their network.

Originally posted by The New Guy™:

So, to be clear, I am fine with real people making real content. Senior Slayers and even some of B.n.B Steve's servers have me banned for what they might argue was 'pr0turd' behavior, which is a more derisive term for a 'try-hard.'

Ah yes the bad old days when I was an admin on Lokis Servers known as [L^s] Steve @> and there was a vendetta out against you because of some players constant complaining and we were to ban you if you joined the server. (Just to make it clear I was never Loki despite some people thinking I was and in the end I also got banned from Lokis). Didn't you use about 40 different accounts at one stage.

I lifted all bans on my server a few years back and now the only people banned on my own servers are known cheats using V952's programme, an admin from another server for verbal abuse on the server aimed directly at me and a couple of complete muppets.

Originally posted by Your Boi:

Saigns uses player names for their bots

Not really relevant, but even still, this means that Saigns needs to be laid low by Valve, just like FastPath does, which is fine. And just becasue Valve is slow to enforce their ToS on one server does not mean all others get a free pass to break their rules.

Also, there* was a 'squid' person in the hl2dm community discord (which harper and Xeogin run) who was promoting 'saigns,' so I am willing to bet that these servers are in the same network or simply emulate one another's ToS-violating practices. Meh, not important.

But the person you were quoting was speaking of the +99% DM/FFA servers, such as SF, eFPS, Zeitgeist, Socal, and Senior Slayer servers. And there are no bots on the RP servers to my knowledge.

Originally posted by Your Boi:

and Bouncyball redirects players to their server by hosting "fake" maps which appear normal when played on there, but are actually empty and immediately redirect you to their server when you try to play them from the "create server" button in the main menu

I am sorry, what? Are you kidding me? Do name the maps, please. And, if you are using a listenserver to test maps, you should be in sv_lan "1" and would need to accept a redirect to any server. That being said, the maps are calling on co-op resources that probably assume a player is already playing co-op on BouncyBall? But if you are hosting a game on steam's networking... how... how could any redirect take place?

So you actually think that randoms playing on Steam networking are 'redirected' to bouncyball? when they would need to have ALREADY been to bouncyball in order to have downloaded and played such maps? Oh... my god... are you talking about the zz_random_map.bsp? That was used on Virtuous Gamers as well in order to bug fix their mods?

WOW... I highly doubt a mapper like you is seriously saying that such maps = FastPath's fake servers. FastPath deliberately stole hostnames in order to trick players, but the maps you describe were designed to bug fix or call mods from their own servers and were never meant to be used in a listenserver context. That's user ignorance when testing rather than playing, not developer maliciousness.

Originally posted by Your Boi:

And there's multiple servers that rely on donations to keep going

This is where I gotta start thinking that maybe you are being willfully ignorant across all the FastPath discussions... becasue we made clear why FastPath is scummy in this regard:
THEY FORCE CLIENTS TO SEE A DONATION WEBPAGE VIA THE IN-GAME MOTD BROWSER. If FastPath wants to ask for donations, that's fine, but they need to ask for it in a legitimate manner. They should never force players to see any advert for donations, and any such donation/transaction page should be hosted as a public website for 'fans' to find, be it by word of mouth or shared URL.

Originally posted by Your Boi:

1. Fastpath is not my server and I don't have access to the source code, so I can't tell you what's going on there

And then you can admit how that is shifty and a violation of the ToS, yes? Don't claim to be on alliedmodders when you are not, right? This 'hidden' source code issue is, in fact, a legitimate concern, right?

Originally posted by Your Boi:

2. There are many other servers which ban certain console commands from showing info about them. Some servers even block you from being able to see the plugin list entirely

Yah, and Scorp's (Killbox Mausoleum or Pirate's Cove) servers, Sagins, and etc. are all wrong for this and should be stopped - same as FastPath. And no server that blocks the STATUS command is acting in good faith, as this prevents any steam user from reporting a cheater on a VAC secured server, in addition to verifying if people are actually a legit steam user to being with.

Like I said earlier, one server breaking the ToS does not give you, me, FastPath, or anyone else an excuse to do the same.

Originally posted by Your Boi:

3. There's many people which enjoy that feature, since it means players still have something to play against despite the person being AFK. If it's not your thing that's perfectly fine and you can find another server to play on, but there's no reason to act like it's shady

Really? Some people enjoy seeing their client being taken control of by the server they are playing at? Might you introduce me to any of them, besides yourself?

What if the server never relinquishes control? what if the client being 'controlled' can't even send a command to disconnect from the server? just how much control should a server have over my own game?

Seems to me like someone, such as a FastPath admin, could just make 'spoof' family shared accounts, make them go afk, and then try to 'lie' about genuine human activity.

But fine, if players are AFK and being controlled by a bot, maybe you could ask the FastPath 'dev' team to label them as such. If a human is NOT controlling a given player, that 'player' should have "BOT" in their display name. No more lies of omission. Done.

Originally posted by B.n.B Steve:

Didn't you use about 40 different accounts at one stage.

Whatever accounts I may or may not own would have been acquired legitimately, such as when using the ATI/nVidia offer for a free copy of HL2:DM and HL2: Lost Coast nearly 50 times at a campus library before security asked me wtf I was doing and that I should leave. I don't know if this happened, but it wouldn't break any rules if it did.

And, even if that were true, I still don't use ANY bots on any servers where I have admin, whereas FastPath admins might think "...that could be 50 some afk user-accounts that we can turn into player-spoofing bots..."

Originally posted by B.n.B Steve:

Ah yes the bad old days when I was an admin on Lokis Servers known as [L^s] Steve @> and there was a vendetta out against you because of some players constant complaining and we were to ban you if you joined the server.

Are we allowed to mention Big Dog here? I think we can just mention that user here, idk.

But yah, as funny as that was for me, the content of [VDuS] Bio-hazard making those same guys rage (after you lost admin) was far better. And that server only has a max of 4 bots when there are less than 4 people, so all of those moments were bot-free on a populated server with so much mic spam. Good times... which you can never have at FastPath.

And yah, v952 was kind of a donkey-hole for a long while, but I am happy he helped develop an anti-cheat later on.

Oh I didnt mean to infer that you had 40 dodgy accounts, I knew they were all good, it was just funny how many times I got asked to go to the server "cause he's back using another account".