Reasons why not so many people play this game:
- lack of choice of servers - 1 server where admins abuse their power and 2nd without any rules or maybe with rules which don't concern some players (some players can do what they want)
- lack of teamplay - seems like there are many COD players....
- cheaters
Choice - people keep going for
that server even though it has no official stats, has arbitrary rules that are enforced on a whim, etc. which is why I'll always choose hslan. There are other servers, too, if they only got populated...
Teamplay is as teamplay does. Joining a squad with either 2nd Forum Regulars or guys from the top 100 of the
official ranking will usually improve experience.
Cheaters - plenty of weird stuff happens because of netcode and BF2 hit detection.
Many times, I have been in partial cover and shot repeatedly, and we both saw blood flying clientside, yet I took no damage and managed to finish my opponent. At times, even if you have a clear shot and pull the trigger first, a sudden lag spike means that serverside, the other guy shot first and killed you, but the client, as of yet unaware, shows you shooting before this registers and after server updates the situation, shows you dying anyway. Sometimes, the netcode "guesses" where the player would move first (in order to keep the movements smooth), while in reality, the player did something else and again, it takes time for this to register this at the other client (meaning players will seemingly clip through objects, jump, be invulnerable, shots appear seemingly from thin air). Also, if one of your limbs "no-clips" through a wall, you can be killed with a shot to that limb.
99% of the time the "cheaters" are just that good that it seems like cheating, yet when you analyze the situation you will usually realize why you got shot. Usually, you did what most players would do and knowing the maps like the back of their hands, the "cheaters" already knew to expect attack from that direction, and with their superior hand-eye coordination, disposed of you with a snapshot. Every once in a while, through pure luck, even I manage to achieve such a snapshot.
Just say the names, we can tell you if they are actually cheating. BTW, ajattap and Dazlayer are not. If you had played more, you would know too
Remember that people in the top 50 have between 200 and 800 hours of gameplay on the ranked servers after the release of 2.4, you seem to have only 20+ hours on the ranked servers.