Minecraft is a very fun game, but playing it with your friends makes for a truly terrific experience. You can create a server that allows you to build and play together, where individuals can join or leave at will
While Minecraft isn't an extremely hardware-intensive game, there are a few important points to consider if you're thinking of creating your own server. The first bottleneck you're likely to encounter is RAM: You generally need around 1GB of RAM for about 4-5 players on your server. Another major consideration is your Internet connection. If you've played Minecraft, you know how much fun it can be. Setting up your own server allows you to bring all your friends into the same game, playing with rules you can establish or modify. This takes an already addictive game to the next level! If you're wondering how to make a Minecraft server, read on.
We've already shown you how to get started with Minecraft. What's better than single player? Multiplayer, of course! You can join one of many servers to start with this game, or look for more exclusive ones, but you're ultimately bound by their rules and discretion. Running your own server lets you and your friends play with your own set of rules, and it's surprisingly simple to do.
Here's how to make a Minecraft server:
Download and Run it First
Head to Minecraft's download page and scroll down to the "Multiplayer Beta Server Software" section. Windows users can download the .exe file and run it. Linux and OS X users should download the .jar file and run the server using the following command in the Terminal:
java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar minecraft_server.jar noguiIf you want to dedicate more (or less) RAM to the server, change the 1024M to another amount, like 2048M. The first number is the maximum amount it can use, and the second is the minimum. As Minecraft runs on Java, you should have at least a spare gigabyte of RAM to allocate to it. Things can get unruly with a decent number of players, especially when you start doing things like blowing up large caverns with a lot of TNT.
In the server window, you'll see memory and processor thread usage on the left, a list of connected players in the lower left, and a chat and log window on the right side. The first time you run the server, you might encounter some errors. That's normal, so there's no need to panic!
The server might not find the configuration files it needs, so it creates them. You'll see new files appear in the same folder as your server.
There's a "world" folder that contains your generated map area, an ops list, and a server.properties file, among other things.
Once the world is finished generating, you'll receive a notification about the help file. Close the server, or if you're running it in the Terminal, just type the word "stop" (without quotes). We're now going to tweak settings, and we can't do that while the server is running.
Tweaking the Server's Properties
Open the server.properties file in a text editor. You'll see several important options:
level-name: The name of your Minecraft world. Changing the name will prompt the server to look for a folder with that name, or generate a new level if none is found.spawn-animals: If set to false, animals like cows, wolves, chickens, and sheep will not spawn.spawn-monsters: If set to false, monsters like creepers, skeletons, and zombies will not spawn. Often turned off for "creative" or "op" servers focused on building rather than survival.white-list: If true, only usernames in the "white-list.txt" file can connect and play.pvp: If false, players can't hurt each other, though they can still inflict harm by pushing others off ledges.
For a complete description of all the options, check the Minecraft Wiki page. Once you're done modifying settings, save the file.
As it's your server, be sure to add your Minecraft username to the "ops.txt" file. This gives you "operator" status with full admin rights. You can generate any item, make other players ops, ban players, and change the in-game time.
For your friends to connect to your server, you'll need to configure port forwarding on your router. The default port is 25565, but this can be changed in the server.properties file. Your friends will need your IP address and the port number to connect. When you're ready, start up your server again.
How to Play on Any Server
When you start Minecraft, select the option to connect to a multiplayer server. Enter the server's domain name or IP address. If you're playing on the same computer as your server, you can simply type "localhost" (without quotes). Click connect, and you'll join the server.
Press T to bring up the chat console. Here, you'll see system messages, public messages from users, and commands you've executed. Type anything and hit Enter to send a message to all players in group chat. As an operator, you can use commands like "/list" to see all connected players, give items, pardon or ban users, and change the time. If you're unsure about a command, type "/help" for more information.
Now that you know how to make a Minecraft server and have created one, go ahead and invite your friends to join! There's nothing quite like building massive structures, exploring vast landscapes, and mining in mountains, especially when doing it with your best friends.