For over a decade, Mojang's Java-based Minecraft Server implementation (and its derivatives like Spigot and Paper have been widely utilized in Minecraft servers of small and large scale.
Regardless of how widely this implementation is used, there are quite a few foundational issues in its design. These issues affect the performance of the server and cause high resource utilization. Not only that, but the developer APIs often cause issues related to backwards compatibility and the development environment.
There have been numerous attempts to fix these issues by projects like Paper, which were quite successful, but we still feel like the main issue has not been targeted yet: the runtime. Since the Mojang implementation is written in Java, it runs on the JVM. The JVM, however, has proved over the years that it's very inefficient, with its high memory footprint, slow startup times and bad developer experience.
Jam is a project that aims to solve most, if not of all of these issues. It aims to provide a new modern and well-designed ecosystem for building High Performance, Sustainable and Maintainable Minecraft Servers.
Jam is a groundbreaking project aiming to address the limitations and performance issues of the current Minecraft: Java Edition server implementation. Leveraging the power of modern programming languages and innovative approaches, Jam seeks to deliver a highly optimized, scalable, and robust Minecraft server experience.
Jam sets out to achieve the following objectives:
-
High Performance: Utilizing C++, Jam aims to significantly improve the server's performance and lower the memory footprint compared to the existing Java implementation. This optimization will ensure smoother multiplayer experiences, even on weak machines.
-
Scalability and Flexibility: Jam focuses on designing a modular and extensible server architecture that can easily adapt to varying player counts and server configurations. This flexibility will allow server owners to efficiently manage and scale their Minecraft servers.