I found a Vanilla plus survival server on 1.20.1 that is built around a really weird world border idea. The border starts at 500 by 500 and it grows every time someone new joins. That means the world slowly opens up and it feels like the server is unlocking itself.
It also uses Origins so you can pick from custom origin choices. The owner is still taking suggestions too so it sounds like players can help shape what gets added.
There is also a Lifesteal twist for PVP. If you kill another player they lose a heart and you gain that heart. If someone dies to the environment it does not take away hearts. The server is opening soon and joining early is supposed to give you a head start.
Growing Border Origins Lifesteal SMP
GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IP
EchelonMC Custom SMP Built From Scratch
EchelonMC is a Java survival server that feels like it was actually built for the long run. It is made for building together and doing teamwork stuff. It is not a place for PvP drama stealing or griefing.
The server is custom built from the ground up and it gets frequent patches. It also says it has no pay to win and the features and balance are shaped by player feedback.
There is a pathing system where you can walk and create paths and get speed bonuses on them. You can toggle it too. You earn a currency just by playing and you can spend it on progression utilities and quality of life things.
Land claiming is advanced with visual borders and chunk settings plus protection options like TNT fire spread raids fluids and mobs. You can publish public chunks so other players can visit your builds and you can get rewards from visitors and climb build rankings.
There are teams with invites shared utilities and team nametags. Deaths make timed graves that hold your items and there is /back to help you recover. It supports Java 1.21.11 and older versions too and it is hosted in Canada.GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPOne Life Semi Anarchy Hardcore Vanilla
This is a hardcore survival server that stays close to vanilla but adds a few tweaks for the hardcore vibe. You only get one life and when you die you are gone for good with no revivals.
The world will never reset so every base and every ruined spot stays as part of the story. The server feels semi anarchic so you can mostly do whatever you want but it also has some limits near spawn like stopping lava casting and blocking wither spawns to help keep the area from getting totally wrecked.
There are custom features that make the world feel more alive like stat leaderboards and player heads dropping on death. If you die there is also a way to pass your enderchest to someone which is kind of wild. You can also disable phantoms.
It runs on version 1.21.11 and it supports joining on 1.21 or newer and there is also a Bedrock port.GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPNo Reset Vanilla Plus Buddy Server
Always someone onlinechill hangout serverfriendly survival vibesspawn town squarevanilla style tweaks
This is a vanilla plus survival server that has been around for a while and it feels super chill.
There is a small town square at spawn and then people have bases spread out across the world. There is still lots of untouched space if you want to start fresh somewhere.
The group is international so someone is usually online to chat or play. It is LGBTQ friendly and the world does not reset. Everyone can go at their own pace and just hang out and go on adventures together.GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPHermit Style SMP With Proximity Chat
This is a community centered SMP that feels a lot like Hermit style survival. It is made by the players for the players and the server tries to keep the vanilla feeling while still adding things the community asks for.
There is a diamond based economy with a shopping district. People also work on public builds and bigger projects together. A lot of players use proximity chat so it feels like you are actually hanging out in game.
There are homes and some extra cosmetic and quality of life plugins. New stuff gets added from community requests and polls.
The server is Java only on Minecraft 1.21.11. It is whitelisted and it is 18 plus only. You can usually find 5 to 20 people online and there are lots of regular players plus groups that want new members.GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPNo Rules Survival Chaos Vanilla Style
I found this survival server that tries to stay as vanilla as possible and it is all about freedom.
There are no gameplay rules and no admins watching over you. There are no land claims and no protection so griefing and PvP can happen anytime. Cheating and building and basically everything goes.
It also says there are no server sided dupes and there are no world resets so the world keeps its history.
The server has been running since April 2021 and it is on 1.21. You can still join from 1.17 up to 1.21.11.GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IP