I've been thinking about clans recently. What makes a clan a fantastic one? What helps a JK2 server survive the pit of inactivity that all the other servers have fallen to.
Ca, IKBR, SoL, J4F... These are/were all clans/communities/guilds that won over almost the entire community in some way at any given time, even if it was just by being there.
JK2 is unique in that the activity levels call for a "chosen one," a server that everyone can agree brings back the JK2 that they all know and adore. If you want to be surrounded by the activity that you love, you have to choose a single server in most cases. Not everyone will even agree that the chosen server is the best one to choose. Even so, I sincerely believe that it's important to keep one thing in mind in every choice you make as administrators, that's the word "vintage".
Everyone can agree that vintage JK2 is awesome. When something is as amazing as JK2, why not enjoy it one more time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGBhQbmPwH8, over and over and over.
Embrace that word in every aspect of the clan. People want ffa_bespin, people want the Force, people want the times when there was less drama and JK2 didn't have to worry about a "chosen one" because any server you'd go to had people, people also want dueling. Genuine, mint condition vintage JK2 gameplay/community. Whenever you think of changing something, consider that word before deciding. Small changes are vital, but people seem to be looking for a time sanctuary of sorts where you can just play JK2.
Regarding modding, it's important to keep it optional. People have choices when it comes to changing just about any aspect of the game with private mods on their computers. Please keep modding, but keep it as optional as possible so it isn't forced on people.
Just my 2 cents after taking a step back and looking at my last 10 years in JK2. Let me know what you think.
May the Force be with you.