Preamble
I know I have proposed we have an anarchy gamemode on TotalFreedom many times before. I ask that people hear this out - I want to explain why it's a good idea in full, making sure to describe the problems anarchy would solve on TotalFreedom, and explaining a reasonable setup process with the resources we have. I also would like to address common concerns I have heard surrounding the idea of implementing an anarchy server.
Also, I get that many won't want to read this whole post. It is so long, in fact, that I had to split it into two separate posts. However, I ask that if you have an argument to make against this position, you read it in its entirety before making that argument to avoid redundancy and confusion.
I also ask that the opinions expressed in this thread be expressed with reason rather than an incomplete "yes" or "no" type response.
The problems
If you have played on the TotalFreedom game server recently, you're probably familiar with one of the biggest problems that the server has today: a lack of player interest. There have not been many people playing on the server recently, and the number of actual people playing on the server decreases to a staggering low if the inflation caused by always-online bots is factored out. Even when there are players on the server, it's painfully clear that many are still searching for a way to entertain themselves in-game. Another problem TotalFreedom has faced recently is a lack of tangible freedom on the server. Many aspects that have reduced freedom in the "Freedom" game mode came as reasonable changes, but the fact remains that much of the freedom that many came to this server for is now absent. As a result, TF has isolated the vast majority of its playerbase over the years.
Why anarchy is a good solution
Reason 1: TF's overall playerbase values the features anarchy has to offer
First off, TF had been catering to the anarchy playerbase for years before it went through more major changes that reduced freedom. This might not make sense to newer members of TF, but a while back, the game server was more "free" and was a spectacle of players constantly causing trouble that admins had to fix. I'm not saying this was a good thing in the current "semi-creative freedom" format, but in the context of anarchy, this type of behavior can generate interest in a way that is more contained than most think. Many of TF's older players found this player behavior entertaining, and even TF's admins used it as a way to find purpose on the server and connect over administrating the rambunctious players. I believe that anarchy would be a great fit for this community, and could even reignite many older members' interest in TotalFreedom. Players on the server would be able to enjoy the true freedom associated with anarchy, joining with other players to gather resources, build, and conquer the world rather than running around on the flatlands searching for something to do.
Reason 2: Marketing
TotalFreedom is sitting on a ridiculous amount of unrealized marketing potential that comes with the rich history and (almost) 12-year longevity that the server has. There is a Minecraft Forum thread from 2010 about TotalFreedom that states that it didn't have rules, nor administration that was typical of a Minecraft server. This thread is stating that in November, 2010, TF was an anarchy server. This means that present-day TotalFreedom is actually in a very advantageous situation in terms of its marketability.
Many here probably know of a very large anarchy server called 2B2T. 2B2T is one of the last sticklers of the old days in the Minecraft server scene. It has an impressive number of players on, and that number is still disproportionately small compared to their overall community due to the nature of having that many people in a single Minecraft world. 2B2T's claim to fame is that they're "the oldest anarchy server in Minecraft." The forum post explaining that TotalFreedom had no rules was actually made in November, 2010, pre-dating 2B2T by a month. TotalFreedom was the original anarchy server, and we should be marketing that fact to the anarchy community, including 2B2T's playerbase - a playerbase that is actively looking for something to do, since to even get into 2B2T, they have to wait in a queue for several hours. In the anarchy community, the age of something is incredibly important. If we took the effort to prove that 2B2T's claim that they are the oldest is wrong, we could easily cause a large stir in the anarchy community. We even have our own 2B2T style timeline of interesting and wacky events that have happened over the years on TF that could get outsiders interested enough to take a look at what's happening here. We would be able to retain interested players from this marketing strategy if we had a TotalFreedom anarchy server for them to play on.
Plan of action
1. Set up an anarchy server. While setting up a new server may seem like a daunting task to many, I would argue that it's actually not as difficult as many think. Anarchy is a rather simple gamemode when you think about it - it's just vanilla survival or creative, but set up so that users are free to play on the server without rules. Dealing with exploits and people crashing the server might seem like it'd be an issue, but I think the TotalFreedom community is ready to tackle the issue. TotalFreedom has been rather vulnerable to exploits and crashers on its own for years and our admins and developers have been prepared to deal with that type of situation.
2. Marketing begins. I have a couple ideas for how we could start marketing ourselves using the "original anarchy server" statement. One way to start would be contacting an established member of the anarchy community. For example, a super chat on one of FitMC's livestreams showing him the original TotalFreedom anarchy post would be likely to catch his attention, as well as the attention of his followers. Another way to market ourselves would be to spread the word that TotalFreedom is the original anarchy server in social media communities where anarchy players gather, like 2B2T or related subreddits and discords. A third way would be to create our own promotional video material about TF's history. It'd also be important to market to TF's historical community through our own platforms - many would be interested in seeing the return of real freedom on the TotalFreedom game server. Spreading the word of TF's originality in the anarchy space is key.
3. Revisions and adaptation occur. If our community grows as a result of the anarchy server, we will be able to better respond to feedback and make changes, and learn about how the community builds on itself and attracts interest. Using this information, TF will be able to adapt to the growing playerbase and move forward in a continual process of growth rather than being stagnant like TF is now. Additionally, since TF is more flexible than larger servers, we would be able to experiment with server software that makes it possible for more players to be on one world at once.