Tutorials/Playing on servers

Minecraft is a single-player game. You survive by yourself and your only friends are the animals that you will probably cook for food! Yet you might want to roam the world with friends. Just experience it with other players and more mobs that you can shake a Creeper at. So servers have made a mark in the Minecraft world of blocks. Here is a lowdown on them:

Joining a Server

 * Find a website on the Internet that lists servers.
 * Read the descriptions and pick one you like. Find its IP. This is often a number displayed next to the name of it, or a domain.
 * Start Minecraft, click Multiplayer and click Add Server. There should be two boxes, Server Name and IP Address. The server name does not matter a bit. Call it what you like. Now remember the IP and type it into the bottom box. Confirm your entries.
 * You should go back to your list of servers. The server should appear on it with green bars on the right.
 * Click this server, click Join Server. Normally, you will be brought directly into the server. If you are not, there is a list of common errors below to help you.

Possible Errors Things will go wrong at some point, so here are some error messages and what they mean. These messages might appear when you click Join Server: If you've updated Minecraft recently, you might get this error message. This means that you might be running on 1.1, but the server is still on 1.0. You will have to wait for the server to update, this may take more or less time depending of the server owners' reactivity. Some servers enable a whitelist system to prevent griefing - usually, to be whitelisted, you have to ask on some external website, usually where you found the server. Your username or your IP got banned from the server. The server is running a more recent version of Minecraft - update your client by clicking "Yes" instead of "Not now" in the update prompt, when you start the game. There are many reasons for this, often because you clicked "Play offline". Simply reset Minecraft, connect to the Internet and try again. This appears next to the list of servers. There are many reasons for this: You might not be connected to the internet, the server may be offline or heavily lagging. Click Refresh. If nothing happens, then wait a bit. This may happen if you try to connect too rapidly to a server; disconnect, wait a bit and try to reconnect, it should work.
 * Disconnected by server. Outdated server!
 * You are not whitelisted on this server!
 * You are banned from this server!
 * Disconnected by server. Outdated client!
 * Disconnected by Server. Bad login!
 * Cannot connect to server
 * End of stream

What happens on the server
Servers can be daunting for some. There are people chatting, maybe trading, Ops broadcasting changes and players entering and leaving. So this section shall help you get started.

finish the trial, you will be promoted to Member, Player, etc.
 * You will spawn in the server's spawn point. Depending on which one you are on, you will spawn in a room. It is called the spawn room and is purely used where people spawn. The server may make it look lavish, with gold blocks and diamond as well as lava and glowstone.
 * On the left hand side of the screen is the chat log. Players will be talking and things will be announced, in different coloured text. You can chat and bring it up by pressing . Then enter what you have to say and press enter.
 * There will be a rules board. This is just lots of signs that say how the server operates. Here are some common rules:
 * No griefing: This is where you do not destroy constructions or don't place rude structures.
 * No cheating mods: You know what mods are. Well some servers ban them. This is because they can make it easier for you to grief, or to ruin fun for others.
 * No swearing or offensive comments: I'm sure you know what is right to say.
 * Sometimes you might have to register online to play on a server. If you really want to play, then create an account.
 * Other times you will need to agree to the rules. Type in "I agree" or something like that. Then you will become a builder or the door will open.
 * What you do next depends on the server. There is a full list under Server.
 * Some servers require prerequisites to prove yourself, like building a house, answering trivia, or killing mobs. If you do what you need, and the mods approve, or you
 * DO NOT anger mods or ops by attacking them, griefing them, etc. They have authority and can ban, mute, or put you in jail (that's right, some servers have jails). This is crucial if you want to stay on the server.

Getting Yourself Started
Now that you're in the server, you probably want to find a place to live! Some servers will automatically give you some tools (normally wooden) so that you can get yourself started. Other times you will spawn and, well, be on your own! Some servers also have what are called Lots. Lots are places you can build your house. Typically you will need to apply for a lot with the Admins to get one.

Find out what is acceptable, and seek out a place you want to call home. Here are a few things to keep in mind
 * You will need a source of food, so make sure there is water for farms, or at least animals for meat.
 * You will want to go far enough away from Spawn so you don't have too many visitors (some of them might be griefers!) But not so far, or else you will be all the way back at the beginning if you die.
 * Take your coordinates: Press F3 and write down on a piece of paper or a .txt document your X,Y, and Z coordinates in case you ever get lost.
 * /sethome, /home and /spawn: several servers have a plugin that allows for the commands /home and /sethome. /sethome will save your coordinates, and /home will teleport you to exactly the same spot. Ask the admins what the exact code is, as they may vary from server to server. /spawn takes you to the server's spawn.

Custom Servers
Multiple archetypes of Minecraft servers exist, distinguished by the unique gameplay features, rules, and societal structures which they implement. No two servers are the same, and frequently the line between archetypes is blurred or indistinguishable. Many special types of servers rely on the use of map editors or the creative game mode to build custom maps and the Craftbukkit server software to provide proprietary features.

For a list of different server types, go to the Server page.

Making Friends
You probably don't want to be spending your time on a server alone, so here are some tips on making friends, and what to do with them. Making a friend is easy enough, just offer to go mining with them or give them a nice little gift. Admins and OP's may seem friendly enough, but they are just doing their job, don't think of them as friends. When you have a friend, you have an ally in battle, a mining partner, and a someone who can try and get you un-banned from a server.

Avoiding Betrayals
On PvP servers, some people will use you to their own advantage to get them started, and then betray you at any random moment. In order to avoid this problem, follow these simple solutions.

Following these tips can save you a lot of trouble and regret in the future.
 * Never let the enemy kill you before you can kill them.
 * Never make a team with any random person.
 * Never allow random people to enter your home.
 * Never trust someone with enchanted diamond armor and sword unless you know them.

Griefing
Griefing is a MCSport whereby the player causes damage to other players' structures. It is very common on poor quality Minecraft servers.

There are some servers where you may need to grief. Valid reasons for griefing include terrible staff and administration, and player abuse.

If you believe you have a valid reason for griefing a server, here are some tips:


 * Do it when admins are offline. Usually if an admin is online, he or she can teleport to you instantly to see if you are griefing. Thus, the next best option is to grief a place far from the presence of admins.
 * If you are griefing and an admin teleports to you and sees the grief, you can say "hey, this place got griefed". If the admin is a noob, he or she will not think that you did it.
 * Remember, griefing doesn't just have to be the removal of blocks. Try placing annoying blocks inside the structure, such as random blocks of stone. You can usually find blocks in the builder's chests.
 * Look around in chests for more effective tools. For example, if you are griefing with a stone pickaxe and axe, you may want to look for chests that contain diamond versions of the tools. It will speed up griefing
 * Lava and water can be used very effectively. Placing water will slow down the victim of the grief and make cleanup harder, while placing lava will kill the victim instantly.
 * Hacked clients can expedite griefing via the automatic destruction/placing of unwanted blocks, chest finding, xray, etc.

Sooner or later, you may get banned, but know that you griefed for a good cause.