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How To Make A Great Minecraft Server You've defeated the Ender Dragon, conquered and built your own pixelated version of King's Landing. What's next? Minecraft may be a game of endless possibilities, but once you've seen everything the base game has to offer, you may be asking yourself "how do I recapture that magic I felt on my first play-through?" Thanks to the plethora of options available with custom Minecraft servers, building your own Minecraft server could be just the remedy you're looking for. Perhaps you've already tried out mods on the web. Perhaps you have tried your hand at one the thousands of online player-run server. You may be a complete beginner to Minecraft or you might not even be a player. You're probably reading this article because you want to know how to create a Minecraft server. Let's start with the basics. History of Minecraft First released in 2011, Minecraft is a sandbox survival game created by Swedish developer Markus Pearson. Minecraft is a blocky, visual game that combines blocksy characters with objects. It quickly became a household name thanks to its unique visual style. Minecraft is special because it gives players the freedom to play how they want. Featuring gameplay elements that mix environmental destruction, architectural construction, exploration, combat, resource gathering, and crafting, Minecraft offers something for everyone. Minecraft has sold more that 176 million copies across all platforms as of May 2019. This is a remarkable stat that makes Minecraft the top-selling video game. Featuring gameplay elements that mix environmental destruction, architectural construction, exploration, combat, resource gathering, and crafting, Minecraft offers something for everyone. High levels of customization are a major reason for this success. This is not just true for single-player games, but also for multiplayer. After all, isn't mining imaginary diamonds and chopping down blocky trees more fun with friends? Here's where the role of privately-owned Minecraft servers comes into play. For those of you looking to change up your Minecraft experience but feeling hesitant about the added responsibilities of running your own server, there are a wide variety of specialized servers available online. MinecraftServers.org lists thousands on-demand privately-hosted servers. Each server is described in detail and listed alongside its options. These servers can offer many different experiences, such as PvP or Roleplaying, Factions or Challenges. This allows for almost endless possibilities within the familiar framework of Minecraft. Sometimes, however, it's not enough to play on a server that was built according to another's specifications. We all want some control in our lives. Why would our digital lives be any different? By hosting your own Minecraft server, you are gaining exactly that: the power to build your world the way you desire and share that world with other players. Hosting your own server gives access to the ability to change variables in Minecraft. You can modify the game's internal parameters by changing things like NPC spawn rates, overall difficulty, and other physical parameters. This is not all. You can also add modifications server-wide from the wide list of available mods developed outside of the game. In addition to having control over how the game is played, hosting your server gives you control over who plays the game. You may be a parent wanting to exert more control over the online interactions of your child, or you might be an avid role-player looking like-minded people. By setting up your own server you can determine the type of community you want to build. Like most things within Minecraft, there is no limit to what the user can imagine. Getting Started Starting out, there are a few things you should know: First, a Minecraft server doesn't have to be on a top-of-the-line machine. However, it is recommended that you use a desktop instead of a laptop. Usually, a desktop will perform better than a notebook. This is especially true if a user is playing on the same machine that is hosting the server. It takes more processing power for both to run smoothly. think of A wired ethernet connection should be preferred to wireless internet. A faster connection will increase game performance and reduce lag. Third, home-hosting, while possible, is not recommended. Home connections tend to be slower and personal computers typically are weaker. Without sufficient RAM, the quality of the game will be poor. Professional hosting services will be more beneficial. *NOTE: If you're curious about what specs to look for in a Minecraft server, check out Jason's guide on Minecraft Server Buying. Still have questions or concerns? Our sales team will be happy to help you build a Minecraft server. They'll gladly walk you through it. Fourth, it is highly recommended that you use a server hosting provider running Debian 9 and Ubuntu 18.04. Both options provide safe and stable environments ideal for learning the basics. Fifth, Minecraft runs using Java. You will need the latest Java version installed before you can set up your server. It is available from Java's website. If you are not sure if you have Java or which version you have, you can check by opening the command window and using the command java -version. If Java is installed, the query will return a version. By comparing this number against the most recent version listed on Java's site, you can ensure that your version is current. Finally, keep your server secure from the start. It is easier to prevent unauthorized access than to remove access once they are in. You should install updates as soon as they become available. You have a better chance to close loopholes before they are exploited. Setting Up Your Minecraft Server You don't have to worry about the misleading image. You won't need any power tools to set up your server, assuming you're not building it from scratch. A Minecraft server doesn't have to be on a top-of-the-line machine. However, before you can set up your Minecraft server, you will need the following: Java Minecraft can be purchased via Minecraft's official website. The latest version Minecraft Multiplayer Server OpenJDK, an open-source Java implementation: OpenJDK installation instructions are available on their official site. Now it's the time to set up your server. These steps will get you server up and running. Enter the command mkdir Minecraft_Server into your terminal. This creates a directory specific to your Minecraft server. Next, you'll need to copy the server.jar from your previous download into your newly created folder. Enter the command: ls to list all directories Use cd Minecraft_Server to change your current directory to your server's designated folder. To launch the server, use the command java -Xms1G -Xmx1G -jar server.jar. Xms and Xmx represent the starting and maximum RAM respectively, and server.jar is the name of your Minecraft server's version number. If you're using Minecraft server.1.15.2.jar (current as of this articles publication), then your command should look something like this: java -Xms1024M -Xmx1024M -jar minecraft_server.1.15.2.jar You can add any additional information to the end of the line if you need it. If you wish to start the server with no GUI, or -o true if the server is to run in an online mode that allows only authenticated users to connect, then use nogui. After entering the command above you should see the output below: [main/ERROR] : Failed loading properties from file: server.properties [main/WARN] Failed to load the eula.txt [main/INFO]: You need to agree to the EULA in order to run the server. For more information, visit eula.txt An EULA (End User License Agreement), file should be created if you are running the server for the first time. Before you can play, you need to agree to the EULA. This can be done with your favorite text editor or via your command window by typing the following command: nano.eula.txt Once you've opened your text file, change its eula field to true. This indicates that you've read and agreed to the license agreement. Now you can save your file and launch the server again. Failure to change this field within the eula.txt document will result in your server continuing to shut down immediately upon start up. Creating a Startup Script You can run your server using the full command line described above. Alternatively, it's a good idea to create a script that will run the command for you instead. Start by creating a new file. You can name this document whatever you like, but for the sake of this article, lets name it server.sh. In the new document enter the following lines. #!/bin/sh java -Xms1024M -Xmx1024M -jar minecraft_server.1.14.4.jar After you have created your document, open the terminal and type chmod +x Server.sh. You can now use the command if you want to start your server. /server. sh to start it and stop it. Lastly, to make sure your server runs correctly without an SSH connection, it is advised to run your server from within a GNU Screen session. To do this, run your startup script before you use the screen command. Assuming you have agreed to the EULA the console should start automatically generating the required configuration files. Follow these four easy steps to get started on your server. start by opening your Minecraft client and logging in. Select "Multiplayer", from the list on your home screen, and click "Add Server." After creating a name, enter your IP Address into the appropriate fields. Once you're done click "Done". Next, click "Join Server" to play. Your server is now live. The Minecraft Wiki has all the information you need to help you with any problems, questions, or to change your operating system. You may find it useful for your particular needs. Customizing Your Minecraft Server When your server.sh script is first run, a world is generated using the default set of variables. Let's suppose, however, that you would like to create your own variables for your server's world. After all, customization is probably what got you interested in hosting your own server in the first place. How do you do this? Easy. Start by opening your server.properties file. Once the file is opened, you will see a long list with properties and true/false statements. By tweaking the variables in this list, you can control how the world on your server is generated. Scroll down the list until it spawns no monsters. Change the true to false. Monsters will not spawn in your environment unless this value has been changed to its default setting. Isn't that cool? This page on the Minecraft wiki contains a list of all available variables and explanations about the parameters they control. Remember that any changes will not take effect unless your server is restarted. What if these options aren't enough though? Perhaps you are interested in customizing the server beyond what is required by the game. This is possible, but requires external modifications. There are many websites and videos on the internet that list the best Minecraft mods. There are many mods to choose from. It is important to know how each mod works, as well as potential conflicts. If you're interested in adding mods to your server, a quick Google search should get you well on your way to doing just that. Looking for a good starting point? MINECRAFTMODS.com has a large collection of mods that you can download and start experimenting. Next Steps So, your server is up and running, you've altered the default variables, and you've even added a few external mods. Now what? Now that you have learned how to create a Minecraft server, it is time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Unless you intend to play in an empty world though, you'll need other players to join your server. These players could be close friends or strangers. You have to offer something unique to get people to play on your server. Ultimately, what truly separates the best Minecraft servers from the rest is the community that supports them. Establishing guidelines, hiring staff to enforce and police your expectations, and creating interesting events to keep your players engaged. These are the elements that will make your server unique. You can also promote your server by posting videos online via Youtube or Twitch. A strong Minecraft server can even be profitable for its owner. Through the integration of membership fees or by selling unique cosmetic items, you can turn your digital world into a source of income. Many thousands of players are housed on some of the most well-known servers. They can make six figures if they use this correctly. There's a good chance that you still have a long way to go before you can reach the level of these top-performing server. After all, communities aren't built overnight. Regardless, the fact remains that these Minecraft servers all started the same way. Someone took a chance and made the decision to host their own server. Ultimately, what truly separates the best Minecraft servers from the rest is the community that supports them. Now that your world has started to run, you can choose where and what you do. Now it's time for you! Have a question about Minecraft servers or a specific story you'd like to share? Leave a comment in the section below. If you found this article helpful, please be sure to share it on your favorite social media platforms, and remember to like us on Facebook! Sean Kelly wrote this article Additional Links Looking for more information on Minecraft? Be sure to check out our comprehensive Minecraft Server Buying Guide. When you're ready to build your ideal Minecraft server, head over to our complete list of instant deployment and custom built dedicated servers. Need personal assistance with your server build? Contact our sales team! Are you looking for more great content ideas? Interested in cPanel, Virtual Private Servers, or Colocation? For more industry insight, news, and guides, check out our most recent posts!
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