With over 100 million users, the sandbox video game, Minecraft, has developed into a worldwide phenomenon over the past few years. People from all over the world work meticulously on constructing blocks and exploring the open world of the game. Many of these building-block architects set up Minecraft servers for multiplayer mode use. This is an especially worthwhile pursuit for those wishing to customize individual settings or play together with friends. But just how does one go about setting up a Minecraft server and which server is best suited to the game’s various needs?
The online multiplayer mode is generally considered the centerpiece of the Minecraft experience. Online multiplayer games require servers—these act as gateways to the Minecraft world. Available servers vary according to both game mode type as well as the number of players they support. Users can browse through different publicly available Minecraft server lists and select their desired gaming world. Keep in mind, however, that users who join games hosted on other players’ servers have no influence on the general set-up of the game; that responsibility lies in the hands of the server operator. Further restrictions apply for gamers looking to play with friends: some servers may not have enough space for every player. A truly customized gaming experience can only be obtained by opting to host your own Minecraft server—this is the only way for players to decide themselves exactly which and how many players are able join their virtual realm.
If the aim is to make the server easily available and to accommodate a large number of players, then opting to rent a Minecraft server often proves to be a good option. Rented servers are permanently available and have the robust computing capacities at their disposal needed for larger-scale multiplayer Minecraft gaming. Dedicated root servers are especially advantageous for such needs.
A dedicated root server (also shortened simply to “dedicated server”) is a hosting system that provides users with the whole nine yards. With this option, all hardware requirements are covered. In contrast to other server types, dedicated servers offer the high performance capacity exclusively earmarked for your project’s needs. This endows dedicated root servers with wider bandwidth and also has the added benefit of making servers less prone to lagging.
The strength of such servers depends entirely on the intended use of the Minecraft server. The reason for this is simple: working memory determines how many users are able to play on the server without detracting from the game’s performance. Servers set up for large numbers of players or different Minecraft worlds should have access to corresponding server strength. An in-depth overview on the requirements for Minecraft servers running on various operating systems is found on the platform, Minecraft Wiki.
In case you don't own a server, you can rent the appropiate game server for your own Minecraft Hosting.
After selecting the right server, Minecraft is now ready to be set up. Whether it be Windows, Mac OSX, or Linux, users are left to decide which operating system to host the game on. Detailed instructions on setting up a Minecraft server for all operating systems are also available on Minecraft Wiki. We’ve laid out an example on how to get Minecraft up and running on Windows:
Once the server is set up, you are now able to adjust the many settings for your Minecraft world. Most of these adjustments are made with the server.properties file. Changes are activated here by opening and editing the file with WordPad. From the number of eligible players to the difficulty level and appearance of the gaming environment, many modifications are under the administrator’s control. Enter the desired number in each respective line or change the command in “true” or “false”.
Players can also be banned by using the files banned-players.txt and banned-ips.txt. Enter the name or IP address of the undesired player in the respective file. Using a whitelist, on the other hand, allows you to directly determine how to access to your Minecraft server. Enter the user names of your fellow gamers into the white-list.txt file—all other players not listed here will be denied access. Now you should be squared away to enjoy your private Minecraft world with your friends.
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