STATECRAFT 1910 is a modded worldbuilding server set around the turn of the 19th century into the 20th. It is built to feel authentic for the time period with a carefully picked modpack and tech that matches the era.
People join to build huge architecture and start nations with real players. There is player led geopolitics and you can lead armies and fight for control.
The server is new so there is lots of open land to grab early. You will need the modpack to play.
I found NodeSMP and it feels like a brutal one life hardcore survival world where every mistake matters. You explore a huge wilderness and there are ruins out there too. Past the borders there is even more land to find.
People try to build big civilizations and start empires from nothing. Wars can happen and they can change the world for good. Alliances can form fast then break just as fast.
You can play a lot of different roles here like a general an architect an explorer or even a quiet shopkeeper who ends up running the economy. The big rule is death is permanent. But the server also has creepy rumors that some names do not stay gone so you never know what is real.