I started spending some time with a now 12 year old boy, who is addicted to computer games. One of which is MineCraft. I heard of this game previously, mostly about how it can be used as a learning tool. Science Friday (a National Public Radio show) and Wired Magazine are just some of the media sources who have reported on it.
http://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/can-video-games-be-used-as-teaching-tools/
https://www.pri.org/stories/2015-08-06/when-video-games-are-educational-they-are-fun
This game has been out for well over five years now. I have even sold some second hardware on Craig's List to people who intended to use it to be a MineCraft server. Wait what? One can setup their own server?!? It isn't just central corporation for gaming servers? So I decided to dip my virtual toe in the virtual water (sorry had to make that horrible pun/reference).
The graphics are horrible by today's standards. Kind of reminds me of the original Nintendo. However, it is 3D, it is really lightweight, the "world" is REALLY big and able to have so much manipulation done to it. It is kinda like Legos meets SimCity meets Age of Empires. I have become somewhat addicted.
The application is really just a java file wrapped up in a GUI menu-ing system. The system requirements are fairly low, most any Windows 7 machine can play it (being a Java file, both Macs & Linux machines can also run it). Although we have seen a few low end systems be laggy.
The MineCraft Server is a free download, it also doesn't require much for system resources, and also just essentially just big Java file. To setup a server, download the source file, expand it. Manipulate the "eula.txt" file to say eula=true. Many of the server parameters can be adjusted by manipulating a file called "server.properties". The server is started via a command line, most people make a batch file. Mine looks like this:
<start of file>
java -Xmx6144M -Xms102M -jar minecraft_server.jar -64 nogui
pause
<end of file>
The batch file calls Java, passes the maximum ram parameter, passes the startup ram parameter, passes the filename, forces 64 bit mode, and suppresses the GUI. I added the pause, just so I can see the error message if it doesn't launch properly.
The de facto ram config is 512mb. I bumped it up. I had a bunch of issues where I couldn't set it about 1700mb; Java would complain it couldn't assign that much memory. I was able to fix that by uninstalling Java from this machine, downloading and installing the newest 64bit version. Suppressing the GUI saves a bit of resources, and really isn't all that necessary, as regardless of the GUI or not, one will see a command prompt style window, that has a running log of what is going on, and commands can be issued. Like "stop" to shutdown the server.
The game communicates on TCP port 25565; so normal firewall holes/NATting apply. If one wants external access.
Obtain, install, and launch the client portion of the game. Hit Multi-Player, add-server, use the IP/DNS of your machine, and connect. The game costs $30, there are pirated copies out there but they will not connect to your server unless you change the server set settings to: online-mode=false. That means that your server won't check in with MineCraft central for user authentication.
I am still getting messages that my server cannot keep up. Not sure why, as the server isn't using hardly any CPU or ram. Although after fixing my Java issue and giving it more than 2gb of ram did really help.
[18:01:51] [Server thread/WARN]: Can't keep up! Did the system time change, or is the server overloaded? Running 2107ms behind, skipping 42 tick(s)
[18:02:34] [Server thread/WARN]: Can't keep up! Did the system time change, or is the server overloaded? Running 21613ms behind, skipping 432 tick(s)
MORE TO COME!
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