War Mode is that. It also brings players who aren’t fully interested in PvP just like the old PvP servers did. Only, it is cross realm so that players can find other people in War Mode even if their server doesn’t have many people flagged.
This seems to always be what it comes back to, it felt boring or hit different when it was a restriction based on server. But, with the exception of being able to opt out without a server transfer or fresh character, it is the same as a PvP server.
Season of Discovery PvP servers have had issues to the point that they are offering free transfers off them. The enforced faction balancing isn’t exactly winning the day.