Players as fish.

[The Friendly Chap]

This isn't a question. I'm just 

REDACTED

so it more of a wierd angle on stuff. 

Players are like fish, and the server is a tank. But you have no control over the fish.
You set up the tank, add pretty bits for the fish to play with and explore. The fish will swim in, and if they leave, then you gotta get the tank in a better state. If your tank is good, and you RLRNG with some luck, you get a group of fish who like to live in your tank. You gotta keep the tank clean, flush diseased fish (cheaterfish and in some cases just toxic fish). If you're an amateur fish keeper, and someone donates you a huge number of fish, it can be great. Or it can lead to slimy dead green soup of dead fish and muck. 

But if you get it just right, you'll have a whole school of fish, and watching them explore the tank and get happy when they see toys is priceless. Seeing the fish blow happy bubbles at the other fish about how they like the tank. That's what sustains the will to keep running a server, that's what makes it worth the clumps of missing hair.