Flavor

Remember that big post I promised you? Well here is the first among many. Tomorrow I will talk about the theme of our server and the worlds within it. Later topics will be on: some plugins I have discovered, permissions, forum erase, the website, the wiki, logo concept art, more servers, and the future of IN overall. I have had a lot to think about so be prepared for a lot.
Before I start, I would like to say that I hope to bring the server back online in a week or two, but it depends on how fast we can make decisions, get the work done, and raise about $15 for our first month. Remember, we now use a hosting service, BeastNode. We switched to a hoster because it is safer for us so we don't get hacked, safer for the server, and it works a lot better.
When the server does come up, it will be in what I call the Alpha phase. The server may be buggy or need improvement, and just from playing around you can help us out. Then we will move onto Beta phase when we have a lot accomplished. Once we believe we are ready, we will go public.
Now, onto some more tasty typing:

Our Flavor

Everyday I have been looking into and researching plugins. However, it doesn't do me much good unless I know what kind of server we want. Should it be heavily modded? Should it use Spout? Should it be as bare-minimum as possible? Whatever we do decide, remember that we can always make more servers on an area we didn't choose, but first, lets just worry about one.
Here are a few "flavors," or different levels of modifications, a server can have. Most of these terms I made up, but you should be able to get it.

Vanilla: Self-explanatory. This kind of server has no modifications. It is the simple server software from Mojang. When you think about it, by itself Minecraft is an amazing game and sometimes doesn't need modifications. However, there are few pure Vanilla servers because many have small plugins that add a little something.

Chocolate: A server that is filled with modifications that make the Minecraft a new game. Server software such as Feed The Beast, Tekkit, and Hack/Mine is in this section. Also, certain Bukkit plugins can be very chocolatey, changing the game entirely. Plugins such as Heroes, Factions, and Towny are a few examples. This can be great, but especially when it comes to mod packs, it can be a lot to learn.
Choconilla: In between Chocolate and Vanilla. This is my favorite option since it includes plugins that keep Minecraft the same but add a little more "sweetness" to it.

Tell me your opinion. Is it best to stay plain and simple with Vanilla? Or maybe we should jam pack our server with amazing Mod Packs and big plugins? Or, my favorite, go in between? Tell me your decision, but remember, this is just for the main server. Later on more side servers will pop up (more on that later). Also remember that I am not asking what mods or plugins you do or do not want on the server, necessarily. Instead I want to know how large these modifications are. Here is a scale to go by:
Vanilla = Minimal or No modifications
Chocolate = Massive modifications or additions, perhaps client mods
Choconilla = Moderate modifications, no required client mods

Tomorrow's post: what do we want our server to be about? A survival server? Creative? PvP? Everything!? What will the worlds be like? All of that tomorrow ;)

BTW, please also comment on ANYTHING you want to suggest or complain about. I am trying to make this the best team it can be but I can't do that if I don't get feedback!