Minecraft servers united through a central lobby

Developers and Reddit users HighlifeTTU and lazertester unified 70 Minecraft servers using a central lobby system, enabling cross-server travel and the potential for massively multiplayer online play.

HighlifeTTU explained the duo's accomplishment via Imgur. "The typical method of joining these servers is to go on a website, find a server with an open slot and then type in that particular server," HighlifeTTU wrote.

"If that server is full, you'd try a different one. This led to people having huge server lists just for one game mode, and an even larger server list if they played a lot of game modes."

To remedy this, HighlifeTTU and lazertester created a lobby system that can support "any number of servers and pretty much any number of players." Players can connect to servers through portals or quick connect signs; each are located down opposite hallways. The lobby also includes a PvP-disabled lounge, where players can interact with one another outside of typical game modes or contact admins.

HighlifeTTU credits the original proxy created by md_5 as the catalyst for the lobby's creation.

"He has enabled us to take Minecraft to a level we never thought possible before," HighlifeTTU wrote. "This proxy system opens up huge possbilities. Imagine a large MMO-style server where a single world is broken into pieces and split among a cluster of servers. We have only begun to explore what is possible using this new proxy system."