When Minecraft: Pocket Edition came out on Android it was a great addition to Android gaming in general. While the game has come a long way since it’s initial release to the now current 0.4.0 version, there are still plenty features that are missing from the game. Things like caves, villages, enchanting and so on are key features still needing to make their way to the game. Still, with all of this missing, Minecraft: Pocket Edition is a great game. However, there is one feature that, for the most part, everyone who has Minecraft: Pocket Edition really wants and that is online multiplayer.
Right now there is a way to host your own server using your Android or iOS device but accomplishing this takes a bit of work and the end result is completely unreliable at best. Plus you also have to keep your device on 24hrs a day which isn’t a big deal but using it for anything else can disrupt the server depending on your device. With that said, having a multiplayer server you can host still seems like something that may not happen for a long time. Mojang is focused right now on getting more features added so that it is a more complete title. So we are left dreaming of the day we can truly play online multiplayer Minecraft using Minecraft: Pocket Edition and player hosted servers.
However, those dreams may come true and a lot sooner than we may think thanks to the hard work of a few programmers who are currently working on a project that will allow anyone to host a Minecraft: Pocket Edition server. As awesome as that may sound, it actually gets better. These server will be hosted on PCs and not your phone or tablet. Basically it will be just like a normal Minecraft server but instead for Minecraft: Pocket Edition clients to log into. It will work with both iOS and Android devices and connecting to it will work just like normal Minecraft, punch in the IP and connect.
But wait, there’s more! There will also be a modding API as well so modders will be able to make mods for the server. There are already plenty of mods, custom maps and skins or Minecraft: Pocket Edition which we started posting how-to’s and articles about and which we will get back into doing soon, but the server software and API will allow for modding of the server as well. Also server commands will work as well such as
The project started about a month ago and has come a long way since it’s inception. However there is still a lot of work to be done on getting it up and running for public use and there is always the chance that it will not work although from the recent updates and progress reports the developers have been posting, that seems fairly unlikely to happen. Our dreams of hosting our own Minecraft: Pocket Edition online multiplayer servers looks to be starting to materialize. When it does, you can be sure we will be hosting our own DroidGamers server for our readers. Until then, we will keep you up-to-date as progress is made.
P.S. Don’t got asking to test the software or to help out. They aren’t accepting anyone for either and unless you know server-side scripting and other programming, don’t even worry about offering to help out. However, feel free to say thank you to them over in the official thread for the project and show them that you support their work.
Website Referenced: Minecraft Forums
