Prepare for a long response to this question. But there will be a TLDR at the end.
Starting from mid-to-late 2007, with a PC that could barely keep up with SA. I barely knew how vehicle mods even work at the time, let alone a multiplayer client but I figured it all out later on. Started on simple mode servers such as freeroam or even cops and robbers. They were my favorites or my go-to's. They still remain my favorites till this day, besides Roleplay of course.
After playing for a year or even close to two for the first time, I took the initiative to actually create an account. Then I got into mapping on MTA. I started releasing cringe-worthy maps.(My adolescence.)
I got into roleplaying at around early 2010 that I wanna say? It was light and my first official experience that I remember was in SZR's RP server. Then I moved to SA-RP after a few months. I met a friend whom I followed due to the fact that his roleplay capability was far better than mine. I'm still in contact with that friend till this day. I jumped to NGG which got me out of my light RP phase to my medium-RP phase. I didn't start messing with hardcore RPing till I started playing random hardcore RP servers, one of them being True Roleplay and I loved that server. Metro Life RP is also my favorite, it didn't have much players but it was fun, the staff and owner are or were friendly. It was sad seeing it shut down.
I jumped to NGG copy like servers then finally ended up back in NGG which I played for my remainder till I started playing RC-RP. Which is my very last RP server to date that I played on. RC-RP is also one of my favorites, despite my issues there, I had an enjoyable experience. It can't beat the experience I had on Metro Life, but the two servers hold a special place in my heart.
TLDR; Started playing SA-MP in 2007 and I still play it till this day.