I agree that the server is declining.
And something must be done about it.
However, I do not agree with many suggested ideas.
Before I came to this server (1.75-2 years ago, a complete newbie compared to most of you), I played on a real white listed vanilla server.
Not with friends, with complete strangers found on Reddit.
Here are some "features" of vanilla servers:
- Getting killed by other players for no reason (PvP on all the time)
- No death protection of items
- No chest protection
- No warehouse
- No town protection (buildings getting destroyed while I slept "just for fun")
- No craftbook
- No silktouch spawner
- No voting system (no money system, no ranks with perks)
- No admin shop
- No cards
- No warp / home commands
- No flying
These are reasons why I chose to try this server out of the 3-4 that I found on "looking for players/server" sites and Reddit.
And playing with great people is the reason I stayed.
I think you are mislead to think that new people will join the server if their dirt house is destroyed and first chest of items is looted.
Or if they get killed in iron equipment by people with fully enchanted diamond equipment player killing "just to make things fun".
I saw the looted chest happen on this server about 6 months ago, it was their own fault because they didn't read in /warp learn to put a sign on their chest to lock it, so it was all good with the current rules, but they still quit.
These are all reasons why there are almost no vanilla servers anymore.
People want to easily get rewards, not them being harder to get or not able to get them at all.
I remember someone joining a year ago, asking when he could get the ability to fly, I told it takes 100 votes (33 days) and then quit right away, never to come back.
I do not think that a month is long, and in my opinion getting it with Gold heart (donation) would be better than Purple heart.
But clearly that person chose this server because he wanted to fly "right now", and just left for another server.
Chances are that he would have left when being kicked for stealing a diamond block in a build, but still...
While I do not have great ideas at the moment, we need to find something different to attract people, and try not to make them leave.
On the top 10 servers of the voting sites I see:
- PvP (factions)
- Skyblock (we already got that, but the solo version, not the multispawner + automatic bots kind)
- Prison (I have no clue what this is)
- Drug wars (I don't know either)
- Customized items (buying special enchants ?)
- Mini games (and I assume Parkour)
- mcMMO / Classes
But at the same time if we do the same as they does, why would they choose us ?
What can we offer that is different than them ?