I found this server called 5tarRock and it is a small semi vanilla world that is getting close to release. The owners have been building it for about four months and they made a completely custom map that looks really detailed.
The whole idea is about realism. You do not just get stuff for free and you actually have to work for everything. Auto farms are turned off so you cannot just afk and win. There is custom ore generation and custom combat and even a custom climate system so the world feels different from normal Minecraft.
The community is small and they are looking for more players who like a challenge and want to grind. Right now they are also running a 125 dollar contest for redesigning their logo and banner and all you have to do is make and submit a picture for a chance to win.
