Having a good mod doesn't make a good server. Having a competent administration, good city, and balanced jobs can make a pretty decent server. Having less server-crashing bugs is a plus too.
For administration I've found it's better to have a 'hands off' approach. Rules like "no killing laborers" and "no pickpocketing in bank" tend to drive players away. A little chaos is always fun.
For the city it's better to have a smaller, more concentrated city. Players won't put any effort into their builds if there's no competition for lot space. Having a ton of empty lots is just a freebuild with roads. Plus, if there's quality builds to the left and right of a space, chances are they'll put more effort into the final project.