Minecraft: Pi Edition is a minified version of Minecraft, based on MCPE 0.6.1 alpha, from 2013. Still today, a modding community exists to keep the game alive, known as MCPI Revival. Which enabled hidden features and improved certain aspects of the game. Along with this modding community, a multiplayer community existed too.
In April 2021, the original SMP-equivalent server, PiCraft, ceased to operate. This eventually led to the creation of Pi-SMP. The conceptual creator of Pi-SMP is MCPI Revival admin, Alvarito050506, however a newly created moderator, TheBoyLeastLikelyTo, decided to run the server himself, as a private server separate from the mainstream public anarchy servers, that was soley for staff of the MCPI Revival community. Pi-SMP was the first publicly syndicated server in the Revival community to provide world files to its members.
The server ran throughout three time periods, known as "Eras", spanning several unique worlds, "Seasons" or "Versions", each created differently. The exact time periods of each era and season are outlined on the website.
All inter-player communications took place on MCPI Chat and Discord. Pi-SMP's first communications resided in the #beiop-craft channel of the MCPI Revival discord server, then it was moved to #pi-smp in Beiop FanClub. The official Pi-SMP Discord Server was created with the conclusion of the first season of Pi-SMP. In Era 2, Pi-SMP employed a Python-based plugin that allows the contents of both the MCPI chat, and a Discord channel within the Discord server, to be mirrored, allowing players to communicate both ways in the case that a mobile device was in use.
Pi-SMP operated wholly as a democracy, the only MCPI server among the syndicated Revival servers to hold such a system. Regular voting polls occured within the Discord server, especially for topics that members were interested in rectifying. Decisions for the world seed used for the following season, and rule changes, were common voting topics.
Since Pi-SMP wasn't anarchy-based, it had some of the strictest rules amongst syndicated Revival servers. Its owner, TheBoyLeastLikelyTo, orchestrated regular world backups (especially during times of high world-use), saved chat logs, and world restores for griefing. Since it operated as an SMP, griefing, hacking, and cheating were prohibited. The server utilized a land claims system throughout Era 1 and 2. Each Era, separated by several months, existed to separate the periods of time the server was closed, which would occur due to ownership breaks.
Pi-SMP employed a strict process for new member applications. Though it was a publicly syndicated server within the Revival community, new members from the community would only be admitted to Pi-SMP after filling out an application form, explaining why they wanted to join Pi-SMP and what they could contribute. This process was a security measure to keep potential rulebreakers out.
Pi-SMP operates similarly to many Minecraft SMP's. Its members desired cooperative gameplay. This meant that large efforts, such as mining, and usage of the Nether Reactor Core, were team efforts, thus required a portion of the server population to be present.
Pi-SMP's economy was mostly based on precious metals, due to MCPI's inherently limited inventory. This meant that the economy could easily be stimulated by hacked items, thus why such hacks were strictly forbidden.