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Johndinglesin edited this page Jun 8, 2026 · 29 revisions

PocketMC Roadmap

This roadmap tracks completed, in-progress, planned, and experimental work for PocketMC.

PocketMC’s goal is simple:

Make local Minecraft server hosting on Windows feel safe, understandable, and friend-ready without forcing users through terminals, random tutorials, manual port chaos, or Java version misery.

Status guide

  • ✅ Completed
  • 🟡 Partial / in progress
  • ⏳ Planned
  • 🧪 Research / needs validation
  • ❌ Removed / not planned

✅ Completed

App foundation

  • Replace Inno Setup with Velopack for app packaging and auto-update support
  • Full UI/UX refactor
  • Fix navigation flow issues
  • Improve layout consistency
  • Add Playit / agent connection page during first-time setup after root directory selection
  • App-local runtime architecture
  • Tray integration
  • Windows toast notifications
  • Theme settings
  • Mica UI settings for supported Windows versions

Server creation and lifecycle

  • Java server support
    • Vanilla
    • Paper
    • Fabric
    • Forge
    • NeoForge
  • Bedrock Dedicated Server hosting support
  • PocketMine-MP support
  • Auto Java version detection
  • Java compatibility validation
  • Managed Java runtimes
    • Java 8
    • Java 11
    • Java 17
    • Java 21
    • Java 25
  • Managed PHP runtime for PocketMine-MP
  • Start / stop / restart / kill server controls
  • Crash detection
  • Auto-restart with backoff
  • Graceful shutdown using RCON when available
  • Console fallback shutdown
  • Port preflight checks and recovery messaging

Playit.gg tunneling

  • Replace manual Playit integration with automated agent-based setup flow
  • Automatic Playit agent provisioning
  • Agent claim / setup flow
  • Existing tunnel discovery
  • Automatic tunnel creation when possible
  • Public tunnel address display
  • Handling for:
    • Invalid tokens
    • Offline agents
    • Claim-required state
    • Tunnel limits

Bedrock ↔ Java cross-play

  • Integrate Geyser
  • Integrate Floodgate
  • One-click enable toggle
  • Patch Geyser Bedrock listener port before launch

Backups and recovery

  • Manual backups
  • Scheduled backups
  • One-click restore
  • Backup retention pruning
  • Locked-file-tolerant backup creation
  • Safe ZIP extraction during restore
  • External backup-folder replication for use with Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or any other sync folder
  • Backup metadata / history viewer
  • Backup health warnings

Add-ons, plugins, and marketplace

  • Modrinth browser support
  • CurseForge browser support with user-provided API key
  • Poggit / PocketMine plugin integration
  • Bedrock .mcpack, .mcaddon, and .zip local add-on installation
  • Bedrock behavior/resource pack registration in world JSON files
  • Marketplace dependency resolution where upstream metadata supports it

Console, logs, and diagnostics

  • Sanitized console output
  • Console log buffering
  • Session log file generation
  • Player count parsing
  • Online player name tracking
  • Dependency health dashboard
    • Playit.gg API
    • Adoptium API
    • Modrinth API
  • Diagnostic reporting / support data flow
  • Local network / Bedrock loopback helper using CheckNetIsolation.exe

AI analytics

  • AI-based server analytics
  • Session / event summarization
  • Player activity insights from logs
  • Smart recommendations from logs
  • Multiple AI providers
    • Google Gemini
    • OpenAI
    • Anthropic Claude
    • Mistral AI
    • Groq

🟡 In progress / partial

Server analytics dashboard

  • CPU / RAM monitoring foundation
  • RAM usage graph
  • CPU usage graph
  • TPS monitoring
  • Player activity timeline
  • Crash frequency chart
  • Disk usage tracking
  • Backup size history
  • Per-instance performance summary

One-click “Fix My Server”

  • Auto-suggest fixes for some startup and port issues
  • Detect common config mistakes
  • Detect incompatible Java/runtime combinations
  • Detect missing or broken server files
  • Detect plugin/mod loader mismatch
  • Detect missing mod/plugin dependencies
  • Detect port/tunnel mismatch
  • Repair common errors automatically
  • Generate a clear fix report before applying changes

Marketplace and content management

  • Local Bedrock add-on installation
  • Bedrock add-on marketplace browsing through CurseForge where supported
  • Better plugin/mod dependency handling
  • Safer uninstall flow for mods/plugins/add-ons
  • Modpack import improvements
  • Version compatibility warnings before install
  • Installed content update checker
  • Pre-install backup prompt for risky changes

Reduce clicks for key actions

  • One-click start from dashboard
  • One-click backup from dashboard
  • One-click open console
  • One-click copy public address
  • Quick action menu on instance cards
  • Keyboard shortcuts for common actions
  • Pin favorite actions per instance

Java runtime downloader improvements

  • Change runtime provisioning priority from Java 8 → 25 to Java 25 → 8 when preferred
  • Download only the required Java version by default
  • Optional “install all runtimes” button
  • Runtime repair button
  • Runtime uninstall button
  • Better progress UI for large runtime downloads
  • Per-instance runtime health indicator

Error handling and alerts

  • Better user-facing error messages
  • Structured error codes
  • “Copy error report” button
  • Better crash alerts
  • Better tunnel failure alerts
  • Better marketplace/API failure alerts
  • Clear next-step suggestions for every major failure
  • “Open related settings” action from error dialogs

⏳ Planned

Friend Join Wizard

Goal: make sharing a server with friends stupidly simple, because apparently “what IP do I use?” remains one of civilization’s unsolved problems.

  • Single “Share Server” button
  • Copy Java Edition join address
  • Copy Bedrock Edition join address
  • Show LAN address
  • Show public Playit address
  • QR code for mobile sharing
  • Copy invite message
  • Detect whether Java, Bedrock, cross-play, and voice chat are correctly exposed
  • Warn when the server is only available locally
  • Run quick connectivity checks before showing the invite as ready

Connectivity Doctor

  • Check whether the server process is running
  • Check whether the local port is open
  • Check Windows Firewall status
  • Check whether the Playit agent is running
  • Check whether the Playit tunnel target port matches the instance port
  • Check Java tunnel status
  • Check Bedrock tunnel status
  • Check Simple Voice Chat tunnel status
  • Detect “tunnel exists but has no allocated address”
  • Explain the exact broken step
  • Offer safe one-click fixes where possible

Server instance upgrades

  • Graceful version update flow for existing server instances
  • Pre-update backup requirement
  • Compatibility check before updating
  • Rollback to previous server version
  • Update changelog preview
  • Update Java runtime if the new Minecraft version needs it
  • Warn about plugins/mods that may break after update
  • Warn about world format upgrades
  • Keep previous server artifact until update is verified

Custom server support

  • Custom server JAR support
  • Custom startup command support
  • Custom server type profile
  • Manual runtime selection
  • Import existing server folder
  • Repair/import metadata for existing servers
  • Preserve unknown/custom files safely during import

Existing server importer

  • Import Vanilla server folders
  • Import Paper/Spigot/Purpur-style server folders
  • Import Fabric server folders
  • Import Forge/NeoForge server folders
  • Import Bedrock Dedicated Server folders
  • Import PocketMine-MP folders
  • Detect server type automatically
  • Detect Minecraft version where possible
  • Import server.properties
  • Import worlds
  • Import plugins/mods
  • Import whitelist, operators, and ban files
  • Create a migration report
  • Never mutate the original folder during import

First-time setup wizard

  • Quick server creation flow
  • Pre-configured templates:
    • Vanilla survival
    • Paper performance server
    • Modded Fabric server
    • Bedrock server
    • Cross-play server
    • Voice chat server
  • Beginner-friendly descriptions
  • Recommended RAM defaults
  • Recommended port defaults
  • Optional Playit setup during onboarding
  • Optional backup schedule during onboarding

World Safety Center

  • Dedicated backup and restore dashboard
  • Manual restore points
  • Pre-update restore points
  • Pre-plugin/mod-install restore points
  • Backup verification
  • Backup size trends
  • Backup retention controls
  • Restore preview
  • Clear warning when a world has not been backed up recently
  • One-click rollback after failed update or risky change

Player and permissions panel

  • Online player list
  • Player join/leave history
  • Operators management
  • Whitelist management
  • Ban list management
  • IP ban list management
  • Kick player
  • Ban player
  • Give/remove operator
  • Copy player UUID
  • Player notes
  • Geyser/Floodgate-aware identity display where possible

Server properties editor

  • Friendly grouped editor for server.properties
  • Gameplay settings section
  • World settings section
  • Network settings section
  • Performance settings section
  • Security settings section
  • Advanced raw editor mode
  • Validate ports, booleans, numbers, and unsupported values
  • Explain each setting in beginner-friendly language
  • Warn about risky settings such as disabling online mode

Simple Voice Chat automation

  • Detect Simple Voice Chat mod/plugin
  • Detect or pre-generate voice chat config
  • Detect configured UDP port
  • Create Playit Simple Voice Chat tunnel where supported
  • Patch config safely when needed
  • Warn when restart is required
  • Show voice chat tunnel status
  • Include voice chat status in Friend Join Wizard

Support bundle generator

  • Generate sanitized support ZIP
  • Include app version
  • Include OS version
  • Include instance metadata
  • Include server type/version
  • Include Java/PHP runtime info
  • Include recent logs
  • Include crash logs
  • Include tunnel status
  • Include marketplace install logs
  • Include backup status
  • Strip tokens, emails, IPs, and sensitive local paths where possible
  • Add “Copy support summary” button
  • Add “Open GitHub issue” shortcut

🧪 Research / future ideas

Native cloud backup integrations

Current supported path: external sync-folder replication.

Future native integrations need API-level support, account linking, token refresh, storage quota handling, and restore behavior. In other words, all the boring pieces that make cloud features not randomly betray users.

  • Native Google Drive backup integration
  • Native Dropbox backup integration
  • Native OneDrive backup integration
  • OAuth account connection flow
  • Cloud folder picker
  • Upload progress
  • Cloud backup restore
  • Retention pruning for cloud backups
  • Optional backup encryption before upload

Mobile remote control

  • Local remote-control API
  • Secure pairing flow
  • Start / stop server from phone
  • Player management from phone
  • Mobile-friendly web dashboard
  • QR-code pairing
  • LAN-only mode
  • Optional public remote access through a secure tunnel

Security requirement: remote control must not ship until authentication, permissions, rate limits, and LAN/public exposure risks are solved properly.

Web dashboard

  • Local web dashboard
  • Instance overview
  • Console viewer
  • Start / stop / restart controls
  • Player list
  • Backup controls
  • Public address display
  • Mobile responsive UI

Advanced Discord integration

  • Discord bot setup wizard
  • Minecraft ↔ Discord chat relay
  • Console logs sync
  • Admin alerts:
    • Crash alerts
    • High RAM usage alerts
    • High CPU usage alerts
    • Backup failed alerts
    • Player join/leave alerts
  • Slash commands:
    • /status
    • /start
    • /stop
    • /players
    • /backup

Security requirement: dangerous commands must require role checks and explicit permissions.

Performance optimizer

  • Auto JVM flag tuning
  • RAM recommendation based on server type and player count
  • CPU-aware configuration
  • Paper/Purpur config recommendations
  • View distance / simulation distance suggestions
  • Plugin/mod performance warnings
  • “Safe optimization” mode
  • “Aggressive optimization” mode
  • Explain every applied optimization before changing files

Background service mode

  • Run servers without keeping the full app window open
  • Windows startup integration
  • Service/tray hybrid mode
  • Recover managed servers after app restart
  • Safe shutdown during Windows logout/shutdown
  • Clear user control over background behavior

This should be designed carefully. A background server manager that randomly eats processes is how you summon support tickets from the underworld.

Safe test launch / sandbox flow

  • Test plugin/mod changes before applying to the real server
  • Launch temporary validation instance
  • Detect startup crash
  • Detect missing dependencies
  • Parse warnings
  • Apply changes only after validation
  • Keep rollback snapshot

❌ Removed or merged ideas

  • Merge “AI Based Server Analytics” and “Advanced AI Insights” into one AI analytics section
  • Merge generic “better alerts” into Error Handling and Alerts
  • Treat native cloud backups separately from external sync-folder backup replication
  • Keep Playit.gg as the built-in public access path instead of adding random tunnel providers too early
  • Avoid full cloud hosting unless PocketMC becomes a different product
  • Avoid account systems until remote/cloud features require them
  • Avoid Docker-first architecture because PocketMC is intentionally Windows-native and local-first

Priority order

P0: Must improve next

  1. Better error handling and recovery messages
  2. Connectivity Doctor
  3. Friend Join Wizard
  4. Graceful version update for existing instances
  5. Custom server JAR support
  6. Reduce clicks for key actions
  7. Server analytics dashboard basics

P1: Strong product differentiators

  1. One-click “Fix My Server”
  2. Existing server importer
  3. World Safety Center
  4. Better marketplace dependency/update handling
  5. Setup wizard with templates
  6. Support bundle generator
  7. Player and permissions panel
  8. Simple Voice Chat automation

P2: Later / advanced

  1. Mobile/web remote dashboard
  2. Native cloud backup integrations
  3. Discord integration
  4. Performance optimizer
  5. Background service mode
  6. Safe test launch / sandbox flow

Product direction

PocketMC should avoid becoming a bloated control panel clone.

The strongest direction is:

A Windows-native, local-first Minecraft server manager that handles setup, runtimes, cross-play, tunnels, updates, backups, crashes, and friend sharing without making users understand every ugly detail underneath.

That means the most important features are not the most flashy ones.

The most important features are the ones that answer:

  • Can I create a server quickly?
  • Can my friends join easily?
  • Can I avoid breaking my world?
  • Can I recover if something breaks?
  • Can I understand what went wrong?
  • Can I manage everything without terminal pain?

If a feature does not help with one of those, it should wait.

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