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The most important thing that is lacking on most servers is support. They just give full support for 2 or 3 months when they open and then they slowly stops giving it until it dies.
The best way to have a successful server is being your own server files owner because that will give you something really important, and it's full code & database control which means faster bug fixing, faster custom features, etc.
Of course this might be difficult because you need programming skills or know someone with those skills that wants to participate on the project.
But you can use Private Server files if you can handle existing bugs and trying to solve the best way you can.
Also don't expect that by having last version you are going to succeed, it doesn't work that way.
Don't do the server to make money. Making money will come alone if you let players know that you care about them by giving the best support you can, by spending resources to improve server stability, by listening and testing every single bug they report (even if is not a real bug and is just an user that don't know).
NEVER argue with an user, unless he wants to harm your server, in that case just ignore or remove from server forum/facebook. Most users don't know about server files or server client or even mu features and you need to have patience and explain everything. Don't answer them bad just because they don't know.
There are more things related to server settings or version but i think that's not really important to success.
1) Since i started with mu online dev, it took me like 2 or 3 years to finally make a server, but it wasn't my server. We just used the files i was making to upgrade server version. It was Season 6 and we had like 4 version and all failed. We had lot of bugs, crashed because of lack of experience.
2) We were only 2 managing server. We had some GM on forum or facebook. I think that is important, NEVER have GM that can have access to server host or tools to edit. It doesn't matters if they are good people, it's about what users think about that.
3) A mix of everything but i think a server that is online after years. And is better if is the same case than us, having like 4 versions with lot of problems and being able to stand up and keep improving it.
One more thing. Don't be selfish. Try to help other servers to improve. Not by giving all you have, but at least give advice, help them with some settings.
I helped lot of servers even by coding some features to them for free, giving lot of advice, helping them to even improve their source code to make it compatible to newer versions.
The amount of servers with same version will not affect your server if you keep it with high quality resources (support, server files, etc).
Second thing is investing a lot of (mostly) time and money. Running a server requires a little bit of money investment (domain 20$ or so and vps 20$+/monthly) and the rest just falls like free files, web etc. to begin with. You would also need to build a good TRUSTED team (gms, hgms etc.) because, trust me, you can't run a server alone. Lastly you need a good LEADER, that's up to you to decide.
I created a lot of servers, usually we start good and then somewhere in the middle we get challenged, but if you survive the middle part challenge and maintain good active players afterward, you're up for a long term server
Running an MU Online Server is just like running business, or actually it IS business. You don't always have to make money all the time. But again you need those foundation because once they fall, your server will just shut down.
in what company you buy domain? .com domain cost for the first year 1$ mate, idk where you buy yours xd