Xray allowed

Not automatically. Many servers only permit xray-style vision (texture packs or specific mods) and still ban combat and movement advantages like kill aura, fly, speed, auto-totem, and inventory hacks. Always read the server rules, because the allowed tools vary a lot.

Sometimes, but not always. Some are true anarchy where anything goes. Others run as a normal Survival server with claims, shops, or staff, and they simply stop policing xray to reduce moderation burden and accelerate the pace.

You treat secrecy as temporary. Build for response and recovery: defensible above-ground builds, quick access to kits, multiple small stashes, and valuables you can move. If you keep a long-term vault, assume it will be found and design your progression so a single raid does not end your run.

Raw resources inflate fast. Value shifts to things gated by travel, farms, risk, or control: elytra, shulker shells, beacons, top-tier books, large farm output, and anything tied to server systems like auctions, claims, or currency.

Hidden storage is fragile, but useful for short-term staging, decoys, and distributed backups. Farms still matter because steady output beats one-time mining. The change is that you build around loss and rebuild speed, not perfect concealment.