10+ Tips for when your starting a start (Whether it be DarkRP or not)

[Floopy | NixRP]

Are you thinking of making a Garry's Mod server? Do you need some advice? Well I've created the perfect thread!
You are all welcome to share your tips as well.

Always have an Administration System! I suggest using ServerGuard but ULX is a great start!
Never download fishy addons from websites that are not verified! Github, Steam workshop, Gmodstore are all verified websites that you can download addons from. Be wary though, Never download Leaks! Rather than using leaks, Support the authors of the addon and buy the addons (If they are on Gmodstore)
Worried about having backdoored addons? Well here's something you should always do: Check every single server file you download. Backdoors can do many bad things to your server. People can run malicious code on your server to make players admins, or give people weapons and or crash your server! Always check Server files. Client files are uncommon to find backdoors, But if there is a backdoor found, its probably a Connect function that takes your players to another server.
If your planning on making a custom gamemode for DarkRP, I suggest you Go here. Modifying the core files just to rename the gamemode to something else can break the gamemode even if the modifications seem harmless. I also recommend using DarkRPModification if your planning on making your own jobs, entities, shipments, etc.
Install a Screengrab addon! A screengrab addon can be very useful for catching script kiddies. I suggest using this free one on github.
Don't host a server that's somewhere that people don't play many games or play Garrys mod. Host them In the United States! The most common way to get players is to host the server in Dallas, Texas because that is the middle of the united states. Lets say your in new york and the server your playing on has over 200 ping and is in Los Angeles. People from the East side of the US will not have very good ping when connecting to servers that are clear across on the other side of the US. Instead, host your server in the middle of the US, where ping will be about the same for both sides of the country.
"Players keep crashing my server!" They are probably crashing your server the the Dupe_arm exploit. dupe_arm is a common exploit so that if a player clicks deploy on a really big dupe, it can overload the server when sending it through networks. A Way to prevent this is just removing the dupes tab. Look up a tutorial on how to disable a Spawn menu tab.
"How do i get my server more popular?" Many people have asked this question many times. There are a couple of ways to approach this. First, you could try Modifying your servers hostname and make it look more attractive and or say "UNBOX EVENT" or "MONEY EVENT" or something like free VIP. Another way you could try is by partnering with other servers which means that both servers can share player bases. One last way you could try getting more players is by finding Discords or forums (Definitely not this one) that allow advertising.
Keep players on your server by giving them free stuff, And or base with them! Basing with players (Especially if your the owner) makes people really happy and they know that the owner actually wants to interact with people.
Make a server trailer! Server trailers can give players a basic idea of what your server is and what it holds.
Learn how to code in Lua! Learning Lua opens up a whole new area of possibilitys! You can create your own custom addons like huds, menus, weapons, and so much more. If you really want to get into lua, I suggest you watch <Code Blue>'s tutorial on Lua which you can watch here and watch his Garrys mod Lua tutorial here! (<Code Blue> if your looking at this thread please reply. I really want to see my favorite person who inspired me to make my own addons reply to this!)
Be active on your server! When your on your server, that means players will get on, even if your the only player on the server! Being on the server puts your server on the front page of the server list.

I Hope you all thought these tips useful! Put some more tips in the comments for other people to look at!

Keys:
ULX - ULX Is a simple administration addon that allows you to create User groups, and allow your staff members to do curtain things that are restricted to the normal user.

Gmodstore - Gmodstore is a marketplace where you can purchase addon for your server. Mostly consisting of Money Printers, Loading screens, Gambling, Fun jobs, Etc.

Leaks - A leak is a free copy of a bought addon. These leaks can come in different forms that can contain malware, backdoor's, and even a RAT (Remote Administration Tool or Access Trojan, Allowing someone from another location to control your computer and steal your files. You can look more here)

Script Kiddie - A Script kiddie is someone (Or a team) that try their best to take down a server or fuck around with it, By using client side lua scripts. These lua scripts can be Anti-Anti Cheats (Bypassing an anti-cheat system) or Exploits that can be used to crash your server.;

Player bases - A player base is all the players that play on your server from a day to day basis.