Its the same small group vibe reddit lost when they got big and greedy. You will actually learn names outside of the top reposter.
The only thing I miss is the really neiche communities. There's some but they struggle to take off due to the smaller user base.
You do have to look though a few different servers till you find one that fits what you want. Mods are still clowns depending on the server. Avoid the top few instances to avoid power trippers. Some things never change.
I basically found a cozy server and settled in after nukeing my reddit account. I don't miss reddit.