Are the people that show up on my scanners always logged on and they ignore me? or how do you communticate with people on the ground properly if i do it wrong?
Unlike to other mmorpg's/simulations,player's character doesn't appear when he logs on.It's still existing in combine world, regardless of their owner activity/inactivity..
So most of those You've met were busy with RL (yeah,the famous so called 'real life' that keeps us away from beloved Combine) or inactive for a very long time (that's common near starting places - characters of those who resigned from playing are everywhere..).Of course,they can be active and ignore You.