My suggestion is either to take the average players per day/week
or use the active accounts in terms of isn't (i)/(u)/(I)
If you really want to display it
a) the current solution opens ways for scripters
b) we got universes with below 5 people online at a time in germany
b2) we got servers with a lower account count than 50
c) even if there is no scripter. I attack somebody, watch the count and if his ally wants to shoot him a login as fake, I can see that the number didn't change [depending on the update interval + assuming that I just fly 5 minutes in 6x speed]
or use the active accounts in terms of isn't (i)/(u)/(I)
If you really want to display it
a) the current solution opens ways for scripters
b) we got universes with below 5 people online at a time in germany
b2) we got servers with a lower account count than 50
c) even if there is no scripter. I attack somebody, watch the count and if his ally wants to shoot him a login as fake, I can see that the number didn't change [depending on the update interval + assuming that I just fly 5 minutes in 6x speed]