Minetest
Introduction
This page explains what Minetest is.
Basic concepts
Minetest provides a builder, or player, with virtual worlds to visit and do things in. The worlds break down into maps and "_games". We’ll come back to both words.
Servers and clients
Minetest can be used in offline mode. This mode requires a PC.
In offline mode, the user creates one or more worlds on his or her PC and visits them. No Internet is needed.
Minetest can also be used in online mode. In this mode, worlds are created by world hosts on the Internet. Users run a Minetest client program to visit the worlds.
Standard copies of Final Minetest include both the server program needed to create online worlds and the client program needed to visit them.
Final Minetest runs on Linux, Windows 7 and 10, BSD, and Devuan on Raspberry Pi.
As of 2023, there is no native Final Minetest client that runs on Android or iOS. However, the MultiCraft client program is able to visit Final Minetest worlds. MultiCraft runs on Android and iOS phones and tablets.
Minetest releases
Final Minetest is compatible with everything for now. This means servers and clients from Minetest 0.4.X Classic, Trolltest 5, MultiCraft 1 and 2, and Final Minetest itself including both old and new releases.
Warning: Final Minetest may not support post-2023 releases of Trolltest and MultiCraft.
Purpose of a Minetest world
There are four main types of worlds: Creative, Survival, Social, and Puzzle.
- In a Creative world, it's easy to obtain building materials. Food isn't needed or it's also easy to obtain. The point of the _game is to create interesting buildings and structures.
- In a Survival world, one must work to stay alive and to obtain building materials. The point of the _game is to succeed at both and to build interesting things as well.
- A Social world starts out as Creative or Survival and adds elements such as kingdoms, factions, trade, and/or warfare.
- A Puzzle world is about solving one or more puzzles. It may include elements of the other types.
Minetest maps
A Minetest map is the terrain in a world – mountains, valleys, etc. – and the buildings that visitors have created.
Minetest _games
A "_game" is a set of pieces that gives a world its personality. The pieces include tools, blocks to build with, rules, types of animals, etc. "_games" are also referred to as "modsets".
Final Minetest offers a number of _games. Important examples include Bucket Game, NotCraft, MeseLite, and Subnasa. The last two _games are very light and should work with most old smartphones as clients.
Bucket Game is a general-purpose _game with piles of features. It can be used to create worlds of any type. This _game might be too heavy for some mobile devices.
NotCraft has a look and feel similar to that of MineCraft (tm). It’s used to create Survival worlds.
Note to attorneys: Click here for a disclaimer related to MineCraft (tm) intellectual property.
MeseLite and Subnasa are _games for Creative worlds that have plenty of features but are small, light, and fast. They work fine with old hardware and mobile devices.
Final MT mission statement
The name Final Minetest is a mission statement and a guarantee:
The goal is speed, power, and flexibility but with stability. We try to minimize changes that break supported worlds or mods. If you know of such changes, inform us and we'll hasten to review the issue.
Trolltest, in comparison, breaks compatibility frequently, is largely anonymous, disregards license issues, and has a philosophy based on Brownian Motion. MultiCraft is a commercial success but will drop multi-protocol support and become a walled garden as well.
Final Minetest is the only viable Test option for its target audiences: academics, edutech types, former MineCraft (tm) modders, and FOSS voxel experimenters in general.
This said, Final Minetest includes servers and clients for three major types of Minetest: Classic MT4 programs, Trolltest MT5 programs, and the multi-protocol version of MultiCraft 2. In short, Final MT allows you to have your voxel cake and eat it too.
In closing, the Final Minetest team aims to:
- Create incredible modsets for both single-player and public use
- Preserve worlds, including the oldest existing public worlds
- Maintain old mods that no longer have upstream support
- Add new features without breaking things
