Minecraft is arguably the most popular video game of all time. With more than 300 million copies sold, it ranks as the best-selling video game ever, with a lasting legacy on the gaming industry that can be felt well into 2024. But the Minecraft experience truly goes beyond the vanilla experience of the game. Because of the nature of the game, Minecraft has a massive community of modders who provide custom content, mods, and gameplay to elevate their gaming experience.
There are many modded Minecraft servers available for you to join and enjoy a new aspect of the game. But you can also host modded Minecraft servers on your own! This blog post is dedicated to every piece of information you need about modded Minecraft server hosting. So, let’s get to it!
What Is Modded Minecraft Server Hosting?
Minecraft is a lot more than a game. The developers made it possible for users to create their own game servers, and well, gamers are creative. If you search for public Minecraft servers, you’ll see a huge variety of modded Minecraft servers, each with its unique gameplay, from building modes to survival modes. But that’s not all.
This opportunity allows you to look at Minecraft as a clear canvas and customize it to your liking with custom content and mods. Maybe even host the server privately to play with your own gamer community.
Minecraft mods, much like mods on other games, are community-developed content packages that aim to alter specific aspects of the game to create new experiences. A mod can simply look to change the game’s UI or to change the entire game by making a full overhaul.
There are some requirements you need to look into before modded Minecraft server hosting. You can host modded Minecraft servers on your local computer, dedicated servers, and virtual private servers. It all depends on your server’s user count and the mods you want to use.
Host Modded Minecraft Servers — What You Need
Apart from the game itself and your choice of mods, the most important factor to consider is the computer you want to use for modded Minecraft server hosting. Your hosting environment will need the following specifications:
What Does Your Hosting Environment Need?
- CPU: You’ll need a high-performance processor. One with a clock speed of 3.60 GHz or higher will do perfectly.
- RAM: Depending on the load of mods, content, and users you are likely to host on your modded Minecraft server, you can use 2 to 4 GB RAM for lighter usage. However, I would advise looking for 8 GB RAM or higher if you are heavily modding your server.
- Storage: an HDD storage may do the job, but if you want to guarantee the safety of your data, go for an SSD storage with at least 10 to 20 GB of free space.
- Operating System: You can just any OS to host a server, but Linux distributions are perfect for the job since they are customizable and lightweight.
- Java: Both Minecraft and the server software (Forge) rely on Java, so you need to install the latest version on your computer.
- Internet Connection: If you wish to have an online server with an active user base, you need to ensure you have a stable internet connection with at least 5 to 10 Mbps of speed.
As I mentioned earlier, you can use any computer with the specifications above to host modded Minecraft server. The issue is that having a PC system as powerful as I mentioned above can get really expensive. Because of that and also the fact that the computer has to be online 24/7, and has physical location limitations, game hosters usually turn to data center servers.
Now, you can absolutely use a dedicated server. But that is also an expensive option and is a little bit too much for a game server. The best option that will provide you with everything you need at a lower cost than dedicated servers are virtual private servers.
Why Is a VPS the Best Option for Minecraft Modded Server Hosting?
A VPS is a virtualized environment, a fraction of a bigger physical server. With a VPS, you can choose the specifications and get the right amount of everything you need for your modded Minecraft server hosting. This option will lower the costs and free you from maintenance tasks like hardware malfunctions.
At Cloudzy, we offer virtual private servers for many different use cases, one being game server hosting. One advantage of using a Cloudzy VPS to host Minecraft servers is that we use Cloud-based virtual servers. This means that your VPS is easily scalable, allowing you to scale your resources as your user base changes or you use heavier mods. We offer a 99.95% uptime guarantee, which means your server will hardly ever be down. The uptime provided, and our 10Gbps network connections allow you to run your game smoothly with minimum lags and connection bugs!
I told you VPS is an affordable option. Our servers start at a low cost of $4.95 per month, which is unmatchable in the industry. You also get a wide range of Windows and Linux operating systems to choose from; we offer the OS pre-installed on your VPS. With Cloudzy, you can get much more than the minimum requirements for modded Minecraft server hosting.
Get Your Game Face ON
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Get Your Game ServerHow to Make a Modded Minecraft Server — A Complete Guide
Now that you have everything you need, we can get to the modded Minecraft server hosting itself. Setting up the server takes some time and effort, but this detailed guide will thoroughly teach you how to make a modded Minecraft server.
Step 1: Install the Minecraft Server Software
There are different Minecraft server software, including Vanilla, Spigot, and Fabric. We are choosing Forge since it’s the best option for modded Minecraft servers.
- Download Forge: Download Forge from the official website. Choose the Forge version that is compatible with your chosen Minecraft game version and the mods you wish to use.
- Install Forge: Now, run the Forge Installer. You need to choose the installation destination folder, in which the Installer will create your Forge server folder and store your server files.
- Accept the EULA: Before moving forward, you need to accept the Minecraft End User License Agreement. To do so, find the eula.txt file in the Forge server folder and open it with a text editor. You’ll see a line mentioning eula=false; change false to true.
- Launch the Forge Server: Locate the launcher file from the server folder. It looks something like forge-x.x.x.xxxxxx-universal.jar, with the x representing version numbers. When you launch the server, additional files will be generated, including the mods folder which we need later on.
Step 2: Configure Server Properties
In the server folder, there is a text-based file called server.properties. This file includes every detailed configuration you need for your server, including world size or game mode. We will now create a new world and configure the properties.
- Open Server Properties: Locate the server.properties file from the server folder and open it with a text editor.
- Set the World Name: In the server.properties file, find the line “level-name=“. The default value is set to world right now. Change it to the name you desire.
- Choose a Seed: The line “level-seed=” determines the layout of your world. If you want to use a specific seed code, write the numerical combination or text in front of level-seed=. If you do not have a specific seed, leave this line empty. The server will later on generate a random seed code for you.
- Choose the World Size: In the same file, you can configure your world’s border size. Find the line max-world-size= and write your desired world size in blocks after the equal sign. You can create a world with a minimum of 1,000 to a maximum of 30,000,000 values. A 1,000 value means the game will create a world border of 1,000 blocks in each direction from the center.
- Set the Game Mode: The line gamemode= will determine your server’s game mode. The default value is set at 0 which means the game mode right now is Survival. By changing the value from 0 to 3, you can change the game mode to Survival (0), Creative (1), Adventure (2), or Spectator (3).
- Set the Difficulty: You can change the game’s difficulty level from the line difficulty=. Change the value from 0 to 3 for levels: Peaceful (0), Easy (1), Normal (2), or Hard (3).
- Set the Player Limit: Again in the same file, you can change the player count limit. Find the line max-players= and change the default maximum number of players allowed to the number you wish. For example, the default 20 value means up to 20 players are allowed to join the server.
- Save and Restart the Server: Once all configurations are customized to your desire, save the server.properties file and close the text editor. To make the changes effective, restart the Minecraft server.
Your Minecraft server is now up and running. Let’s turn it into a modded Minecraft server now.
Step 3: Install Mods on the Server
This is where things get exciting! You can find and download mods from websites like Planet Minecraft or CurseForge. There are several different ways to install mods, you can even use a modpack and configure it on your server. The steps below are the most simple and straightforward way of modding your server.
- Open the Mods Folder: In the server folder, find the mods folder and open it. This is the directory in which we will install Minecraft mods.
- Download Desired Mods: When looking for mods, take two factors into consideration. First off, make sure you are downloading mods from a reputable website, and then check the mod is compatible with your server’s Minecraft version.
- Add Mods to the Folder: Downloaded mods usually come in compressed files. Use programs like WinRAR to extract the zip folder’s content. Then look for a .jar file; this is your mod. Copy or move the JAR file into the mods folder in your server directory.
- Restart the Server: Just like earlier, restart the server to make the changes effective. The mods are now active and loading on your server.
You now have your own Minecraft modded server hosting! The additional steps below will teach you how to start using your modded Minecraft server.
How to Connect to Your Modded Minecraft Server
Okay, everything is now ready for you to start gaming! Let’s learn how to connect to the game server.
- Find the Server IP Address: VPS providers provide users with server IP address, domain name, and host name. If you’re not sure about your server IP address, you can find it by visiting the WhatismyIP website.
- Find the Server Port Number: To find your Minecraft server port number, go back to the server.properties file and look for line server-port=. The default Minecraft server port number is always set to 25565.
- Connect to the Server: Now, to connect to the server, first run the Minecraft game on your client computer and click on Multiplayer from the main menu. Click on Add Server or Direct Connect and in the Server Address field, put in your server’s IP address and port number. Now, click on Done or Join Server to connect to your modded Minecraft server!
- Share Server Information: Other players can also use the same method to join your modded Minecraft server. All you need to do is to provide them with the server IP address and port number. They can then follow the instructions in the previous section to join your server.
Host Modded Minecraft Servers on Your Own!
Minecraft being an open canvas allows players and modders to enjoy the game on their own terms. It opens the door to endless gameplay possibilities, and well, players love Minecraft for it. Starting your own modded Minecraft server hosting plan might sound a bit confusing, but this blog post is here to help you easily host your server on your own. Just remember, the most important aspect of hosting your game server is the environment you have to use, and for that, Cloudzy is always around to provide you with the services you need!
FAQ
How Much RAM do I Need to Host a Modded Minecraft Server?
A minimum of 4GB of RAM is required to consider running and hosting a modded Minecraft server. You can learn more about this by checking the already mentioned Minecraft RAM allocation article above. Do note that as more players join your server, you are going to need more RAM.
What Are the Best Modded Minecraft Servers?
There are several modded Minecraft servers that, in recent years, have grown to become standalone Minecraft experiences in their own right with large player bases. The best modded Minecraft servers include Pixelmon Realms, Complex Gaming, Dirtcraft, Purple Prison and Crafters Land.
Are Minecraft Mods Free?
By default, almost all Minecraft mods are free. The only exception would be paid features within the servers that run these mods. But the mods themselves usually are always free.
Are Mods Allowed in a Minecraft Server?
This is highly dependent on the preferences of the people who run the server. But by default, Minecraft servers running the vanilla version only allow cosmetic and UI mods that do not interfere with gameplay.
Can I Host a Free Minecraft Server with Mods?
If you use your own spare computer or laptop as a server, then yes. Otherwise, a dedicated server or VPS is going to incur a small monthly cost. Cloudzy’s Game VPS is quite cheap, starting at $4.95.
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