I am confused by this statement and I do not see anything in the FAQ's about how to fix this.

I am in the process of establishing this NEW server and yes, in configuring the MetaMod and SourceMod Plugins, I run "idle_"/"achiev" maps and bots in order to figure out the configs.

Now, my question is, once the server is up and running in a stable environment, HOW do I get back on the ranking board?

The server is currently running behind a dynamic IP off a home computer. There isn't enough usage yet to support porting to a game server. The server was however, ranked in the 1700's (pretty good considering it is a home based server that has only been up for a month) before dropping off the radar! What is the criteria to be ranked?, How do I avoid ranking being dropped? and How do I get my server back on the scoreboard?

That being said, I've read threads saying that servers where trading takes place are dropping off the ranking system as well. I feel this is unfair considering that it was Valve/Steam that opened the door for this type of activity in a money grabbing scheme to drum up loose change. (Allowing people buy hats and junk without having to either look for it or earn it is pretty lame.) Players must be connected to servers in order to Craft and/or Trade. If this activity throws up an idle flag, then it is not the hosting server admin's problem. Valve/Steam should open their own servers (heck, maybe they can charge a crafting/trading fee) to allow this type of activity and allow us who host games the opportunity to host maps in a competitive and fun manner and be ranked accordingly. It's bad enough that I have to Delete Servers, Re-Instate Servers and start all over again whenever my provider changes my IP. (My 2 cents worth on this topic.)

I look forward to your reply.

Regards,

Pte George
(Admin Pte George's TF2 Server 68.148.66.126:27015 - at the time of this post)

Will there be a reply to this??

Is there a FAQs being written?

We must do what is in the best interest of the GameTracker community as a whole, not the few server owners who run a server like this. It has been seen that servers like this are not much different than a server that runs bots, so it is not determined to be fair for these servers to be in the ranking with the regular servers. Just because its in the game doesnt mean that makes it OK. That would imply that if an exploit was found, its ok to use it.