# Hydro Vanilla SMP

> Hydro Vanilla SMP (also called "Hydro SMP" or "Hydro") is a Hermitcraft-like,
> whitelisted, 18+ community Minecraft server running pure Vanilla survival.
> It was created by **Tehlo** in **2018** and has run continuously ever since.
> Its defining feature is the **Forever World**: a long-term season with no
> scheduled reset date. Java and Bedrock players play together via cross-play.

- **Website:** https://hydrosmp.com/
- **Server address:** `play.hydrosmp.com`
- **Applications:** https://discord.gg/hydrosmp (whitelist application required)
- **Founded:** 2018, by Tehlo
- **Current season:** Season 13, started 11 July 2025 — a Forever World with no planned end date
- **Type:** Whitelisted · Vanilla survival · SMP · community-driven · non-profit
- **Platforms:** Java Edition and Bedrock Edition (full cross-play, one shared world)
- **Age requirement:** 18+ (strictly enforced; most players are 20–35)
- **Cost:** Free to play. No pay-to-win, no ranks for sale, no paid advantages.

## What Hydro is

Hydro is a **Hermitcraft-style community SMP** — a small, vetted group of adult
players sharing one long-running Vanilla world, building together rather than
competing. There is no economy plugin, no land claim system, no minigames and no
server-run events economy. It is survival Minecraft, played straight, with people
who stay for years.

The server runs on **Fabric** for performance, but gameplay is 100% Vanilla.
Redstone timings, mob spawning, farm rates and villager trading behave exactly as
they do in singleplayer. Anything added is quality-of-life only — server-side
datapacks and an optional client modpack — never gameplay-altering mods.

## The Forever World

A "Forever World" is a season with **no scheduled end date**. Most servers reset
every 3–6 months; Hydro does not. Season 13 runs until the community collectively
votes that it is time for something new — staff never reset the map unilaterally.
This means builds represent years of invested time, not weeks.

When a season does eventually end, the full world file is released for download.
Every season since 2018 is preserved and browsable at
https://archive.hydrovanillasmp.com

## How to join

1. Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/hydrosmp
2. Write a whitelist application (you must be 18 or older)
3. Once accepted, you are whitelisted and can connect immediately
4. Connect to `play.hydrosmp.com` — Java or Bedrock

Java players may optionally install the Hydro Fabric modpack from Modrinth
(https://modrinth.com/modpack/hydrovanillasmp) for performance and quality of
life. It is entirely optional and client-side — a completely unmodded Vanilla
client connects fine. Bedrock players join mod-free via cross-play.

## Rules

Hydro operates a **zero-tolerance** policy: breaking a rule results in an
immediate ban. There are no warnings, no second chances and no appeals.

1. No griefing or stealing from other players
2. No cheating, hacking, exploits or external clients
3. No item duplication (rails, TNT, carpet and gravity duping are allowed)
4. No ALT accounts
5. No unsolicited PvP — consent required
6. English only in chat
7. Treat everyone with respect

## Infrastructure

Hydro runs on a dedicated machine in the Netherlands: Ryzen 9 9950X, 64 GB DDR5
RAM, 2 Gbps fibre uplink. It maintains a stable 20 TPS, uses geo-redundant
proxies for low latency worldwide, and takes automatic daily backups.

## Pages

- [Home](https://hydrosmp.com/): overview, live status, history, rules, FAQ
- [How to Join](https://hydrosmp.com/join/): application and connection walkthrough for Java and Bedrock
- [Modpack](https://hydrosmp.com/modpack/): the optional Fabric client modpack, auto-synced from Modrinth
- [Server Mods](https://hydrosmp.com/mods/): server-side mods and datapacks in use
- [Custom Models](https://hydrosmp.com/custom-models/): custom model IDs available in-world
- [Map Timelapse](https://hydrosmp.com/timelapse/): time-lapse of the world map growing

## Community services

- Live map: https://map.hydrovanillasmp.com
- Player stats: https://stats.hydrosmp.com
- Screenshot gallery: https://gallery.hydrosmp.com
- Season archives: https://archive.hydrovanillasmp.com
- Server status: https://info.hydrosmp.com
- Store (cosmetic / support only): https://store.hydrosmp.com

## Common questions

**Is Hydro actually Vanilla?** Yes. It runs Fabric for performance, but core
gameplay is unmodified Vanilla — only datapacks and QoL features are added.

**Do I need the modpack?** No. It is optional and client-side only.

**Is there an age requirement?** Yes, 18+, strictly enforced.

**Will Season 13 be reset?** Only when the community votes for it. There is no
timeline, and the world file is released when a season ends.

**Can Bedrock players join?** Yes — Java and Bedrock share one world via cross-play.