First, I'd like to say that this isn't a thread complaining about server bots, in fact, it's the opposite. Let me explain.

Some of you might know that I have been against the player count plugin for a long time. However, I think one thing that might be worth looking into is adding some of the TF bots that actually play the game with you. I believe another server, nightteam, has this plugin and it kicks in whenever it fails to meet a certain number of players in their server. The great thing about this is that if the server is towards empty initially, with about two or three people, then they can play a real game with bots until others join. When someone joins, a bot is kicked. It does this until it reaches a certain amount of players in the server. I think maybe 8 of the TF bots would be good.

If you haven't played with the bots yet, I suggest at least checking them out. You can add them to any server with simple cvars as they are now implemented natively into the game. They can be pretty convincing. Engineers will build guns, teles, dispensers. Medics will heal. Spies will actually cloak and disguise. It's not a perfect replacement for real people (obviously), but I think it could help jump start the servers by having them inserted into the game when the human player count is low. It'll make starting real games more tolerable, anyway.

Bots only work on certain maps, and some people really don't like them. Some say they are too easy (good players), and others say they cheat (bad players). Besides that way they work in tf2, at least without cheating on the player count, is by decreasing the available number of slots. So if you have an empty server, it will say 0/24. If you then add 4 bots, it will then say 0/20.

My authoritative answer is no, unless you can get a supermajority of people to support it, and drahken agrees to install, configure, and maintain it, and fix whatever breaks. Because big pluggins always break something. (see prophunt)