Paper 1.16.5 Java 17 Link -

This reduces "lag spikes" during gameplay.

Running a legacy version on a modern VM is a balancing act. To keep your Paper 1.16.5 + Java 17 server healthy for years: paper 1.16.5 java 17

While Java 17 is generally "backward compatible," some very old plugins (built strictly for Java 8) might throw errors. This reduces "lag spikes" during gameplay