This year, we are going with something I've not tried before. Mods! Before you all scream at me, I've tried keeping mostly a vanilla feeling. Mostly.
We are using a combination of mods that add many biomes throughout the world.
Whilst adventuring, you will also come across many interesting structures that are sure to keep you and your friends busy. Speaking of friends, each loot chest is per-player too, so no more squabbling over the same chests.
Oh, and we also have the Aether mod...
To help you explore, we have some interesting additions:
you can now craft or find "Paragliders" which has a stamina bar, like in the Legend of Zelda games.
in-game map showing you where you've been, with ability to make waypoints and claim/chunkload chunks
backpacks
waystone towers to teleport between places of interest
Activities are also not lackluster this year - we have fishing, skills, and unlike any other season, we have TONS of collectibles.
Fishing has two reworks:
using a normal fishing rod will now use a "Stardew Valley" inspired system. Keep the bar on the fish!
start collecting the special fish with a "Starcatcher": this has a completely separate minigame, and fish even have biome, weather and elevation requirements to catch.
The Field Guide - use a spyglass to "scan" plants, animals, mobs in order to add them to your journal. Can you scan everything?
Aether Collectibles - the Aether mod provides its own "compendium" of things you've found
Advancements - we pretty much have an advancement for each item. Go nuts :P
Being with your friends is what keeps servers alive. So here are some low-friction activities you can do together:
set up thriving colonies
compete on collectibles
do photography (there is a CAMERA item allowing you to take photos, and print them in-game)
beat dungeons throughout the world
explore the Aether
discover the art of cooking immersive recipes and making your dream kitchen
Building has also been added to massively. We have:
tons of new building materials (woods, stones, you name it)
decoration objects
bridges, windows, furniture, paths, fences, etc.