An Editorial on Minecraft Anarchy Servers (Part 2 of 3)

by @ianrandmckenzie

For Part 1 of my Minecraft Anarchy Server editorials, please click on this link.

Whenever you are starting on an anarchy server, it is critical to your reputation to be self-reliant, independent, and thick-skinned against the usual toxic banter that floods the chat. Asking for handouts and other favors will quickly tarnish your already weak reputation. Responding to trolls will paint you as a target for abuse, such as bedtrapping.

Beware of bedtraps & other scams

Bedtrapping is a method of griefing where players bait you into sleeping in a bed. They will then surround the bed with obsidian except for one spot – your respawn point. In that spot, they will fill it with lava or water so that you’ll burn alive or drown before you’re able to break the obsidian with your first. This cycle will repeat until you get frustrated and quit the server forever. Or, until you login with an alternate account and free yourself (assuming the trap isn’t guarded).

Again, it is up to you to establish independence and self-reliance. I recommend against asking for or accepting handouts in your early days. You need to get a feel for who is trustworthy or not. Keep an eye on chat while you’re getting yourself established. Unfortunately, this means escaping spawn with zero resources. But, do not fret! It is very possible. Sure, you’ll die a lot, but it is every anarchy player’s rite of passage. The sense of accomplishment you’ll get from escaping spawn will be the first of many wonderful memories you’ll get from playing these type of servers.

Consider using your real-world skills for trades

After some time playing, you’ll eventually see Discord links tossed around for community Discords on the server you’re playing. Many of these Discords have channels for trading. Some even may be entirely dedicated to trading. Personally, I was able to trade my logo design skills to acquire gear. Here’s the logo I designed for an established player:

And here are the kits I received:

Begin integrating yourself within the community

Once you have a couple of trades under your belt and are making your presence known, it’s time to start playing with your own personal flare and engaging with the community as you choose. For me, this meant writing books and poems then sharing them with others. I would use the books to trade, but I also left them laying around in high-traffic areas.

One of the best things I did in my time playing on my anarchy server was writing poems and stories about actual notable players on the server. People love when you boost their reputation by creating original content about them. And, as a side effect, this boosts your personal reputation as well because notable players like you for what you’re doing.

I am by no means a mastermind by coming up with this strategy. I more or less just landed on it by accident. I was doing all of these things because they were fun. But, it ended up making me somewhat of a notable player as well. So much so, that I was awarded a rare and “un-dupable” kit that was crafted purely to grant clout to any who possessed it:

You may be wondering to yourself, “What are these amazing modules showing off the kits that I acquired?!” This is what the next post will be about. How Minecraft Anarchy servers inspired me to create Enderbook, the social app for Minecrafters.