I'm actually really glad that after years of not logging into Planet Minecraft, this is the first post i see. I've always loved this topic.

I personally love being staff on minecraft servers.. I'm not an owner, but I've been an admin on my friends server for a couple years. Its a faction-based economy server, which brings about 20 regular players a day. I haven't played survival minecraft for years now, but my friend opened his server up for the summer so I thought i'd help him out. I like doing it because of the authority it brings. I remember when I was still new to minecraft, I tried playing on mulitplayer servers. I remember how I guess "famous" I felt staff were. They were always so helpful and seemed so intelligent. They would make amazing spawn areas and PvP arenas, they felt almost like the cool kids in your class. Now that i'm staff, and I am that "Cool Kid" of the server, a lot has changed. The player base of course has changed. I'm not treated with as much authority as I liked to. That might be because I am a girl, but it might just be because 10 year olds don't know how to talk to human beings. However, the more mature players do give you that sense of respect and I really appreciate it. There is truly not a better feeling than being respected and looked up to. I really enjoy developing the server, making rules, making buildings, etc and knowing that you made it all yourself. It also helps to know i've stayed connected with someone I met through minecraft all of this time, and we're still making something out of it. Thats why I like being a server owner/staff. The sense of community, respect and accomplishment.

I have a server mainly for me and my friends to build on and stuff, Im not sure why you assume all server owners are one of those 3 things, and the last option, another huge assumption... people run servers because they enjoy hosting a place for people to play, some server owners actually play with the players, like myself, they don't just sit there and play god all the time. The people who try to make money off servers (for profit) shouldn't even own one. being new and original isn't the easiest but if you have the same server as everyone else (factions/towny/kitpvp/same old minigames) don't even bother unless its just for personal use or something because you aren't gonna get the loads of people you are expecting to get.

For the memes

Whoa, everyone, calm down!

I understand this might be a bit controversial. I didn't mean all servers are generic and crappy! I meant that I don't really understand why a person would decide to start an unoriginal server like thousands of people already have.

I love creating Player's experiences and making dreams come possible! I love to work with my staff members and as well the players to create possibilities noone can imagine!

A truly unique server is not something you find often these days. The only one I've actually been involved with has taken years to even get started.

My server is for a niche audience - hardmode gameplay which takes 6-8 months to "complete", PLUS any building projects. I've literally never found another server like it, and if I did I'd play that instead because I don't have to pay hosting fees then.

So I guess my option is option 3, but I've not voted due to your highly passive-aggressive post.

TO create the most unique and the most immersive experiences of all minecraft servers. That's why I'd create a server.

You could fairly easily answer most of your own questions.

Firstly, WHY do people set up generic faction, KitPvP, etc servers?
Because it has a large playerbase, which means it generates traffic quickly, which means that it generates bucks.

Secondly, WHY don't people set up unique servers?
Because it's not easy. If you want to set something unique up you'll most likely have to know how to code. Hell, my own custom server's plugin inhabits over several thousand lines of code. All of that takes time, energy, money for server upkeep. It's a lot easier to just plop *insert generic plugin name here* into the server and let it do it's thing.

That pretty much outlines the whole reasoning behind MC's server variety's state at the moment.

Why would you even run a server for the sake of running a server?
Maybe because a person just enjoys it?

You might as well just play on another server because chances are, it's the same as yours but with a bigger community: factions, survival, skyblock, creative, that kind of stuff. I'm wondering just why nobody cares enough to be original anymore.
Rather not, they're mostly crap.

As a former server owner, I know that's exactly what I want in a server, and I don't know why the rest of you would decide to take the path of least resistance and make factions when you could be aspiring for greatness and trying to make an original server with the best gameplay possible.
Speak for yourself, my server is awesome. I've always geared my server towards having in game factions but I've never used the plugin. Currently just finished a script that allows your faction to take control of a total of 13 worlds. The faction that controls the most worlds takes control of the galaxy and is awarded donor perks is spawn area.

Keep your money, you've got to earn the perks on my server.

Why do you want to run a server? Because playing games is boring for me, I like creating my own games more, creating your own non-minecraft game is very hard, so I create my own games in Minecraft. By working on a server I have the most fun out of all things on earth. Also I can't find any server which I would like 100%, so I'm creating a server which I like 100%.(I create my own unique/semi-unique minigames, not these common factions) I run the server mostly for myself not to just have players, but players are welcome too.

I like having hierarchy over players and bossing them around, being unfair & spawning in items it's great.

Judge me.

I love the experience I get and meeting new interesting people. Before I started my server i knew not much but i met new people and they helped me learn how to code and gain other in real life related skills. Its also just a great feeling to see people playing and having fun on your server and you get to meet a whole bunch of new and interesting people.

I'd run a server just because i'd want people to experience the RPG map i created similar to wynncraft, but donations would be nice to cover the server costs

FanawtikServer owners, I have one question for you.

Why do you want to run a server?

Is it because you'd like a major feature added to another form of a server or are you just power-hungry? That's what I want you to ask yourself. Why would you even run a server for the sake of running a server? You might as well just play on another server because chances are, it's the same as yours but with a bigger community: factions, survival, skyblock, creative, that kind of stuff. I'm wondering just why nobody cares enough to be original anymore.
Even go over to the server list right now, and see how many servers there have kit PvP, skyblock, factions, or survival. Don't you want your server to stand out? Don't you want your server to be a step in the right direction when it comes to innovation?
As a former server owner, I know that's exactly what I want in a server, and I don't know why the rest of you would decide to take the path of least resistance and make factions when you could be aspiring for greatness and trying to make an original server with the best gameplay possible.

Well my server is basically just a parody to horrible zombie servers and zombie games.So in a nutshell its basically a joke and i don't plan on getting any kind of money from it.

I do agree that many server owners today run servers to make money, which, in my mind, is not right. I don't accept donations from my server, and if I ever do, they're going to be EULA compliant and fair for everyone.
I run a server because I love giving players a good experience. I like messing with plugins, building, advertising, and interacting with people. Running a server just fits me well.
I also agree that servers are not unique anymore. Why run a server if its the exact same as another server? People want to play on whichever server has all their progress and friends on it. Therefore, if you copy a server you won't get anyone experiencing all the love, sweat, and tears you've put into your server.
In conclusion, I run a server because its fun.

And who don't wanna make moolah.

The ones who disagree are the outliers who don't have the servers in question by the OP... if it was the flipside, where the people this thread was mainly addressed to were the ones responding, there would likely be a different tune played in here.

I made a server because I wanted to put my coding skills to use. I have made custom games/concepts, maybe you can check it out and see if you approve? IP: enduniverse.com

I don't make any money of my server. I do add not seen things to my server, however the main reason is that I like the fealing that I influence people.

Because "kids" where not aware of, unwritten rules that every server owner followed before mc. Because of this they see that large servers make money by being heavy on donations (braking the unwritten rule). So they expect the same happen with their server.

So they copy everything, put donation store and expect influx of players and $$.

As more of "old-school" owner it does annoy me a bit. This is why I share my experience and knowledge that I gathered for past 10 years to help the owners that actually want to try make unique project and follow the unwritten rule.

I can honestly say that none of those things were true. Firstly, I never made a buck off my server; every dollar that anyone donated went straight to hosting and upkeep. Secondly, I didn't have any special admin plugins or powers other than your basic kicking. Thirdly, I know my tiny vanilla server doesn't have anything special. It was just another place to hang out for my friends and me, both long-distance and real-life. Did it never occur to you that some people have servers just for fun?

Because they want to make 'insert game type' server...

Now I don't run just a plain faction server, so I wouldn't say that I am taking the "path of least resistance"

To be honest the biggest factor for me is: Challenge. I like the challenge of opening fairly unique servers for players. From GTA:SA movie server to Battlefield RP servers and anything in between.

Why would you even run a server for the sake of running a server?
I run server because I like the challenge, each project brings and I have disposable income to allow my to do just that.

You might as well just play on another server because chances are,
Sadly question doesn't apply to my project. Its well run, fairly unique and only non whitelisted, non rp heavy and true to the cannon of the fallout franchise. And it didn't went down like 20+ others.

I'm wondering just why nobody cares enough to be original anymore.
I do, and I work with helping other owners create unique server and make them work.

Don't you want your server to stand out? Don't you want your server to be a step in the right direction when it comes to innovation?
I believe, I have already addressed that question.

I doubt very few people are going to choose the top 2, not because they actually are the last one, but because they dotn want to put themselves on blast.

I love it for the experience of it all.

Imagine playing every day for however long you want, expanding what players dreams are.

Making it a reality!

This is the real reason, just to create a community, to have fun, to make friends. Money is important, but it isn't the reason players donate. It's because they want to community that the server has. They enjoy the community.

~SoFlo