This server feels like the old school Minecraft I remember. It is a simple survival SMP with no weird gimmicks. You just join and play normal survival with other people.
The whole idea is to keep it pure and classic. You mine you build and you explore. There are no crazy custom game modes. It is just survival and your own imagination.
The community is meant to be strong and friendly. People are there to work together and have fun. It is good for players who played for years and also for people who just started.
There is optional proximity chat too. If you want more immersion you can talk to players that are close to you and hear them in real time. If you do not like that you can just not use it and still play fine.
Peak Vanilla Classic Survival SMP
GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPFolksMC Semi-Vanilla Factions SMP
I found this server called FolksMC and it feels like a tight little community that actually wants more people to join. The world has been running since August this year so it is not super new but not old and dead either.
It is a semi vanilla SMP so it feels like normal Minecraft but there are a few simple plugins. There is a home command so you can get back to your base. There are gravestones so you can find your stuff when you die. There is a Discord to Minecraft chat link so people can talk even when they are not in game.
The server has three main factions right now. They are called The Mercs Hearth and Tabasco. You can tour the server and then pick one of those or you can invite your friends and start your own faction. It seems like they really want people to team up and build things together.
There is a SimpleMineCart plugin so you can travel by rails without needing powered rails. There is a Timber plugin so chopping trees is faster. There is also GSit so you can sit on stairs and relax. The whole server feels like survival with small quality of life changes and a focus on friendly players who want to help build up the world.GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IP