How much should founding players shape? Testing a persistent Minecraft world

I am building Neviroth, an independently run persistent multiplayer project built on Minecraft Java rather than a standalone game. I am at the point where I need to test a design choice, not just server stability: should early players be ordinary testers, or should they have enough authority to create the world future players inherit?

The current approach is the second one. Up to three founding testers can establish the first kingdoms, name places, build roads and landmarks, create traditions and rivalries, and give feedback that can directly change claims, economy, progression, events, and community rules. I want their influence to be concrete and persistent instead of the vague promise that players can ‘shape development.’

The playtest needs to answer three questions: does founding a kingdom create a compelling long-term goal, which progression or economy decisions need player input first, and does the one-minute application set honest expectations for a small alpha? The world is live now. Players need to own Minecraft Java; access is free, every application is reviewed manually, and testers should expect bugs, balance changes, restarts or rollbacks.

I would value developer feedback on that founder model, and I am also looking for the three players who want to test it from inside the world.

Actual alpha-world map and founder application: https://neviroth.net/community/alpha/apply?src=lemmy_indiegamedev&campaign=alpha-social&ref=53b47278ef52&content=founder-influence-playtest