Joining an environment

Start a prepared scenario and keep its terminal open. You join with your own Minecraft Java Edition client; Anvil does not launch or control that rendered client for you.

Join from this machine

1. Wait for the runner to report that the scenario is ready.
2. Read the endpoint printed after Join:. Enter status in the runner to print it again.
3. Open Multiplayer in your Minecraft client and use Direct Connection with that host and port.

For the local-paper scenario definition, use a Minecraft 1.21.11 client. A loopback address is usually 127.0.0.1 and the port is allocated for the run. Copy the address and port, omitting any leading slash shown by Java's address formatting. Do not assume the default Minecraft port.

When the entrypoint is a proxy, connect to that proxy endpoint. Connecting to a listed backend directly bypasses the route that the scenario was prepared to exercise. Check versions and compatibility for other native server versions; the proxy's own release number is not your client version.

Choose the intended identity

The sample server uses offline authentication. If your environment needs authenticated connections, set .onlineMode(true) on the direct server or entry proxy, and sign into your Minecraft client normally. Let Anvil configure forwarded backends through the declared topology.

The Anvil account manager configures a protocol library's stored account for simulated players. It is not a login step for the Minecraft client you operate yourself. If a setup hook also creates simulated players, give them distinct names so they do not compete with your client for the same player identity.

Join from another machine

Game listeners default to loopback. To expose a local prepared environment, configure manual mode and the network policy on its AnvilScenario builder in the definition. Import me.whereareiam.anvil.api.model.NetworkPolicy:

.manual(true)
.networkPolicy(NetworkPolicy.builder()
		.bindAddress("0.0.0.0")
		.allowLanBinding(true)
		.build())

This is a builder fragment for the scenario definition example. Keep its processes, entrypoint, and other settings, then relaunch the scenario. On the other machine, join using the Anvil host's reachable LAN address and the allocated game port. 0.0.0.0 is a bind address, not the destination to enter in the client.

The listener must also be reachable through the host's network and firewall. Local agent endpoints stay on loopback with per-run authentication. Docker publishes agent endpoints on host loopback; its internal container binding and supported local-daemon setup are described under execution providers.

Manual mode does not accept the EULA automatically, bypass authentication, or translate Minecraft versions. Keep those settings explicit when sharing an environment.

Rejoin after replacement

If the runner switches or restarts the whole environment, read its newly printed entrypoint and reconnect. Leaving your client open does not preserve its server session. A successful reconnect also does not prove that your plugin's saved state survived; inspect that behavior in the application.