I found a small semi vanilla SMP that is in testing right now.
They said the real start is in about a week so it feels like a new world kind of moment.
It sounds like the goal is simple survival with a small group and a mostly vanilla feel while they get things ready.
FallenCloud Network is a multiverse style Minecraft network that just opened. It starts with that stranded island to big empire vibe and it feels like you are meant to build up and compete.
It has Skyblock where you grow from almost nothing and push for the leaderboards. It also has Survival with community twists plus Factions for alliances and rival fights. There is Prison where you grind through custom mines and there are Minigames for fast matches. Everything connects through a main Lobby hub.
The economy is tied together with an integrated market system across the game modes. They also tell players to use /menu to get around and /rules to learn the guidelines. The server supports version 1.21.5.
Anarchy Network is a semi anarchy survival server that tries to keep things feeling like real Vanilla Minecraft. It started on October 11th 2024 and it is hosted in New York City in the USA.
The server stays online 24 7 and it lets you join on Java versions from 1.7.2 to 1.21.11. They recommend 1.21.10 so you do not run into issues.
The world is huge with a 2 million block border and there are no map resets. There is no teleporting and no pay to win. PvP and griefing are allowed so you can play however you want.
The only command they allow is spawn so players far out are not stuck forever. Nether roof access is allowed too. Phantoms are removed and only half the players are needed to skip the night.
The rules are mainly about stopping bad stuff like exploits lag machines duping spamming and harassment or racial slurs in chat.
Total Vanilla is a simple survival server that sticks to the true vanilla experience. It is all about playing the game the normal way with no shortcuts.
There is no tpa and no homes so you actually have to travel and explore. The gameplay is kept vanilla and the world has a 300k border. The nether roof is enabled too.
The server started 5 days ago so it still feels fresh. If you want player driven exploration and builds with no extra stuff this one is for you.
Total Vanilla is a simple survival server that sticks to the real vanilla style. It has no teleport commands and no home commands so you have to travel and play the normal way.
The world is huge with a 300k border so there is a lot to explore. The nether roof is enabled which makes travel and projects feel more open.
It is all about player made exploration and builds. The server is very new and it started 3 days ago so it feels fresh.
BetaBuddies is a beta 1.7.3 survival multiplayer server that sticks to the classic vanilla feel. It is about enjoying old Minecraft and building up a world together with other players.
The community is small but active and they are looking for more people to join. The server is whitelisted so you have to share your Minecraft username and then wait for a manual whitelist.
Rules are focused on keeping things fair and chill. No hate speech. No griefing stealing or cheating. Do not try to lag the server. Be kind and respect other builds so everyone can have fun.
Total Vanilla is a simple survival server that sticks to the true vanilla feel. There are no shortcuts and no gameplay changes so it feels like normal Minecraft.
You cannot use tpa and you cannot set homes so you have to travel and survive the real way. The world border is 300k so there is a lot to explore and build.
The nether roof is enabled and the server is focused on player driven exploring and building. The server started 4 days ago so it still feels new.
Spugunke is a vanilla Minecraft server that has been up for about 3 months and it supports 1.21.11.
It works for both Java and Bedrock so more people can play together.
The community is friendly and they really want new players to join. If you like building exploring grinding PvP or just vibing you will fit in.
The server has been kind of quiet lately so they are hoping more players jump in and help bring the world back to life.
The Pen MC is a classic prison server that feels like the 2014 era. It is barebones and grindy and you do not get overpowered armor right away. There is no instant sell so you actually mine and smelt and then you have to risk traveling through PvP zones to sell stuff.
You rank up from A through H and then you can reach Parole. After you finish the main ranks you can prestige and you are not forced into only one grind. You can keep doing classic mining or switch it up with custom fishing or a mob arena with waves and bosses. There is also a bakery system where you farm and bake cookies and do long term cookie quests and try to climb leaderboards.
This server also has guards that enforce contraband rules and there are illegal crops that are high risk and high reward. You can rent cells and plots and use auction house and player shops. There are bounties and solitary confinement and parkour challenges too. The pay stuff is not supposed to be pay to win since it can be earned by playing.
Creepers Hollow is a survival server that used to be a private world for friends and now it is open to everyone.
The cool part is that new players get a fresh spawn and fresh wilderness to explore and build in. The older builds are kept in a separate area so they stay safe if the old group ever comes back.
It feels like classic survival but with land claiming so your builds are protected. There is also a rank progression system with perks for players who stay active.
The community is meant to stay small and friendly so people actually get to know each other. There are occasional events and challenges too.
They are also looking for moderators and helpers who are active and responsible and like supporting players and helping with events.