In Rust, there are a wide variety of servers to choose from, ranging from Vanilla to Modded. Each offers different experiences based on wipe schedules, map size, and player count.
Vanilla Servers
Monthly Servers:
These servers wipe once a month and tend to have a slower pace. When you see YouTubers "snowballing," it's often on these servers. If you're new to Rust, monthly servers might be the best place to start because they allow more time to farm, run monuments, and potentially find abandoned or decayed bases with free loot. However, the longer wipe cycle also means players have more time to gather raiding materials, making it more likely that you could get raided.
Biweekly Servers:
As the name suggests, these servers wipe every two weeks. They offer a balanced experience between the slower monthly servers and the more intense weekly servers. If you're looking for a mid point between relaxed farming and frequent action, biweekly servers are a good fit.
Weekly Wipe Servers:
These are the most chaotic servers, with higher populations, often ranging from 200 to 1000+ players. The fast paced gameplay means more frequent encounters, faster loot respawns, and near constant PvP action. While exciting, these servers can be more challenging for new players. If the high population is too overwhelming, there are lower pop weekly servers available, but they still offer a faster paced Rust experience compared to biweekly or monthly servers.
Softcore Servers:
When you're killed, half of your inventory can be reclaimed by you at either the spot of your death or at a reclaim terminal (found at Bandit Town and the Outpost) - items in the reclaim terminal will despawn after 2 hours.
All players may now spawn at either the Bandit Town or Outpost safe zones at any time (provided they are not flagged as hostile).
You may only view the contents of a wounded player.
Maximum team size is 4 (this includes the number of people who can authorize at a Tool Cupboard or on an Autoturret).
Modded Servers
Modded servers offer a variety of specialized experiences, including building, aim training, minigames, and loot multipliers.
Loot Multiplier Servers (2x, 5x, 10x, etc.):
These servers are similar to vanilla but allow you to gather more loot in a shorter amount of time. They're ideal for newer players or those who don't have the time to commit to a full length Rust wipe but still want to experience progression and raiding.
Building Servers:
These allow you to fly around freely, letting you experiment with building designs and test out various structures without the pressures of survival or PvP.
Aim Training Servers:
Perfect for improving your gunplay, these servers help you practice recoil control and engage in combat scenarios to sharpen your skills.
Mini Game Servers:
If you're looking for a fun break from traditional Rust gameplay, mini game servers offer game modes like Bed Wars, Base Invaders, Gun Game, and more.
Facepunch Server's
Monthly map wipes
Bp's don't wipe until Facepunch wipes them
No active admins, which leads to an influx of cheaters