Share the server IP and port with your friends. Connect to the server from minecraft by entering the same IP you gave to your friends. As you can see this in this case you don't have to 'install' the server and deal with nasty networking stuff and the server config part is easier. Cross-play with Java Edition: Windows, Mac, and Linux Allows you to play with other Java edition players. Split screen multiplayer (online multiplayer requires subscription sold separately) Playing split screen allows up to four players to play on the screen at the same time. To make any game within the minecraft server is just like simply to stay connected with the server and to join the game along with your friends playing with them the way you and your friends wish it. Simply provide them the link designated for playing the game and they can get connected with you over the server to play games your way. If you would like to join a Minecraft PC / Java Edition server, there are a few things to consider: The server must be running any Minecraft PC / Java Edition server type. Have Minecraft installed on your computer.
Minecraft: Java Edition To play with someone on your network first, choose a host computer. This computer should be fast enough to play Minecraft, while running a server for other players as well. You then launch the game and click 'Single Player' and create a new world or open an existing one.
This one is near and dear to my middle schooler heart: let's chat briefly about Minecraft. Yes, the Fortnight of yore for the current middle schoolers reading this article.
But first some history and an info dump: I started playing Minecraft nearly a decade ago, right around the release of Beta 1.6, and then stopped around the end of middle school.
Looking for a game that my friends and I could play while stuck at home during lockdown, I suggested Minecraft since it is literally the best selling videogame of all time (over 176 million copies sold). I figured there was a higher chance that people had an account lying around as compared to other videogames.
Turns out, after I left, the Minecraft scene development split. Now, there are two editions of Minecraft: the Bedrock edition and the Java edition. The Bedrock edition is the version of Minecraft that can be found on your computer, phone, console, VR device, and TV. While the Java edition can only be found on PC and Mac — this was the version of the game that I bought.
The Java edition is, as expected, written in Java, and the Bedrock edition is, as expected, written in C++. (What, you thought I was going to say Bedrock?)
While both games are being updated there are key differences between the games. A few of which I will highlight below:
Java Edition
- Has Mods
- Easy addition of resource/texture packs
Bedrock Edition
- Cross-platform play
- Better performance
Perhaps my comparison was a little unfair — there is still something akin to mods in the Bedrock Edition. They have a store where you can buy skins, texture packs, mods, and prebuilt adventure maps AS A MICROTRANSACTION.
Sorry.
I got a little carried away there. This is Tepid Takes with Jake.
Anyway, there are valid reasons for implementing microtransactions: it's a way for artists, modders, and map makers to get compensated for the very real work they are doing. In addition, having an officially supported store, assuming that it vets each item, is empirically safer than installing mods and texture packs on your own.
I think the first point has some merit; artists, programmers, and game designers shouldn't be expected to give their work away for free. Having a centralized store that is advertised within Minecraft is a great mechanism for people to get paid should they choose to charge for their creations. That being said, however, Minecraft has been around for a long time and many texture pack artists, modders, and map makers already have a donation button next to the download of their creation. Let's also not forget that these content creators only get 70 percent of each microtransaction as compared to the approximately 97 percent of each PayPal powered donation.
As a general rule, I have maintained and always will maintain that Microtransactions do not belong in full-price videogames. If you paid for a game once, you shouldn't be expected to pay again and again and again to have the most enjoyable version of the game. No other media industry gets away with this. Netflix doesn't charge you for different language audio nor does Spotify Premium have the audacity to charge you for each playlist you create. The gaming industry, however, has convinced us all otherwise.
My own ideological qualms about microtransactions aside, the most irksome thing about microtransactions in Minecraft is that this game is/was marketed towards children. Kids and microtransactions havenever mixed well together. How do you play shuffleboard on imessage games.
So, with all that being said, I'd still recommend that you dust off your old copy of Minecraft and noodle around with your friends. Whether it's building a giant structure, spelunking for rare materials, running an adventure map, or slaying hordes of mobs there is something for everyone. When I first drafted this article in late March, I was a bit skeptical of the staying power of Minecraft. After playing for a week or so, I was starting to get a little bored. I have found in the weeks since that, even once you have done 'all the things' in Minecraft, it's still nice to have a virtual space to congregate with your friends.
If you don't have a copy already you can buy the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft for $30 and the Java Edition for $26.95.
Note: If you bought the Java Edition before October 19, 2018 you can redeem a free copy of Bedrock Edition for Windows 10 as long as that code is redeemed prior to April 20, 2020
© Image: Mojang/Microsoft StudiosMinecraft is a great game to play with friends, and you can cross-play with them no matter the platform, as long as you have the same version.
This means that if you own the Java Edition of Minecraft, you can only play with folks who also have the Java Edition. The same goes for the Bedrock Edition. If you have different versions, you'll have to buy the other one to play together.
All of the platforms that run Minecraft Bedrock Edition can play together. This includes the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows PC, and mobile devices. You will need a Microsoft account in order to do this. Your Xbox account, if you have one, will work fine. Otherwise you can make one for free right here.
Once you have a Microsoft account, you'll want to make sure that you've added the friend you want to play with on that account. Often this will require sending a friend invite to their Xbox Gamertag.
Once that's sorted, here's how you can get into the same game.
Joining a friend's game
If your friend is playing in their own hosted session, you can join them straight through the game. As long as you're friends via Microsoft, you can join their session by scrolling over to the Friends tab and looking under 'Joinable Cross-Platform Friends.'
These sessions can only hold up to eight people at once.
If you're invited to join a session, a pop-up will appear that you can either accept or decline.
Inviting friends to your game
To invite friends, open the start menu in-game. A sidebar will prompt you to invite friends. Once you select 'invite,' you can add people from your friends list to join your game.
Keep in mind which player permissions you have active in your session (visible in settings). You can change it so people joining your session can only look at your world, or you can let them run wild, building and breaking blocks. You can even grant them administrative privileges. You can also set these privileges individually once friends join your session, by clicking the yellow icon next to their names.
Using Realms for Multiplayer
Players can also join Realms, which are servers that stay online all the time and don't require a host to be currently playing.
You can send invites to your Realm via your Friends tab or invite via a link if you're playing on a PC. Clicking the link will launch the Minecraft app. Console players will need to be invited via friends list.
How To Add Friends On Minecraft Java
Play With Friends Minecraft Java
After joining the Realm for the first time, you will be able to return to it whenever you want from your Friends tab. The Reams you've joined will appear under 'Joinable Realms,' as long as the Realm is still online. (Keep in mind that Realms are capped at 11 players active at the same time, so if you can't join, it's possible there are too many people already in there.)
