Content size

[Pollux]

The point being that it is still a problem that needs to be addressed.

We can't do much about game content as it gets taken down from the workshop. People need to either buy the games or download the content for them from elsewhere themselves.

Indeed, but that aspect must be acknowledged to prevent it becoming a problem in the first place, for example the mining rocks are from CS:S, that means everyone that has not installed CSS sees errors. That is a huge percentage of people and the models should be replaced.

For a long while, having CS:S & Episodic content has sort of been an unofficial requirement for players. If a new player purchases Gmod, then sooner or later they will run into maps and servers that require the CS:S/Episodic content, and there isn't much that can be done about it. CS:S/Episodic content has become necessary for most things in the game, and they are especially necessary in the City RP gamemodes. 

Disabling/replacing the content would be quite impossible, as they play a huge role as either map models or spawnable props. I can't really blame the mappers for it, as the base HL2 textures and models are simply horrendous looking and most of the time they won't fit at all in a modern city setting. Disabling CS:S props would put a massive limit on what you can and cannot build in the game, and finding a good city map that doesn't use that content is quite hard as well.

It has been a sort of unofficial requirement for forever, however things change and so do the playerbase and installed libraries. If we want to maximize the amount of players who plays (and stays) on FL there is no excuse to have errors so apparent on the roadside.

The example I gave is currently the primary and fixable problem that needs to be addressed as there are 3 - 4 locations that have 30 errors each for a big percentage of people, including me. (A die hard CS:S fan with over a 1000 hours). It is not about disabling CSS props, it is about fixing noticeable flaws.
For example, a person that does not have CS:S installed can not even see cash money upon joining; one of the most fundamental aspects of the gamemode.

Do you really expect them to go buy CSS or download the content on their own initiative without any reference for where they can get their hands on said content on a server they have no knowledge of and nothing invested in?

I can tell you, that they will go to another server.

CS:S is still required for almost all servers, while I think third person models are included I don't think first person ones are, making CS:S a requirement for pretty much any server with guns. Almost all maps also require CS:S or HL2 episodes so we can't really do much to avoid it for FL or any other server. If someone really doesn't want to get the content they won't be able to enjoy 90% of gmod servers.