There is literally no risk here, as the server shuts down due to funding in the next few months anyway. Since there's nothing to lose, we might as well try something new. The old setup has been unappealing to new players, and apparently old players as well given their repeated lack of activity.By stabbing the old guard in the back based merely on the assumption that new players will come along,you are not only showing a disregard for the traditional playerbase but also taking a huge risk.
Seriously, stabbing the old guard in the back? If the old guard wanted to be catered too, the old guard should play. However since the old guard do not play, they won't be given something for free for an eternity at someone else's expense, especially since it just goes unused. We are currently on map number seven, and the last truly successful (survived more than a few months) map was way back on Map two. When it comes to this community, collectively almost a year of peoples' time has been sunk into doing what you are saying which was in the end a total waste (I am referring to the Towny Map and Adventure world). Due to all of this, I am sorry but the old players cannot be relied upon because they are not interested in minecraft for anything but the nostalgia, and it dies out very quickly.Instead of attracting new customers at the expense of old ones,you should be encouraging brand loyalty. You should give players greater incentives to come online more often and enforce harsher penalties for those who go offline for long periods of time.You aren't doing yourself or anybody else any favours by turning your back on the traditional playerbase.
Regarding the idea of punishing players for inactivity, this has been done before w/ Faction upkeep. It was both very unsuccessful and extremely unpopular.
As for why someone would choose this server over any other, its because we have tons of history, unique mechanics, and an unique experience. We have spent months building brand new plugins/scripts, that literally do not exist anywhere else.There's already dozens of servers that pride themselves on multiverses and cutting-edge plugins,so why would anybody choose this one over the rest?
I wish I could say any of those things (besides the realism perhaps) exists on our server anymore, but I can't. In reality it is now a survival faction build server. The changes we are making however will seriously increase roleplay options, and warfare.We should instead be placing a greater emphasis on the traditional foundations of this server; realism,roleplay,alliance-building and warfare.
We need a new player base, as the old one just doesn't play minecraft anymore. I'm sorry to say this is the case, but after five restarts all attempting this renaissance and all of them dieing to inactivity not long after, its not even close to debatable at this point. Things need to change, and since we've only a few months left of funding we might as well make changes. It can't get any worse.We need a renaissance,not a revolution.