Minecraft Java Edition – Does Forceloading Chunks Stress the Server?

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For a project on a minecraft server I used the new /forceload command to keep some chunks loaded. There is probably about 10 chunks not counting the spawn chunks that are forceloaded. I've also noticed that the server's memory usage has gone up as well as the "Running behind" messages. There has also been an increase in players so that could also be the issue. In my mind it's not that much different than having another player on, but does it put a bit more stress on the server because they are in various location and not grouped together (more like 10 players instead)? This is in 1.13.2 minecraft with vanilla server.

Best Answer

Yes, due to bug MC-141482 /forceload loads nine chunks for every chunk you mark. This does indeed mean that there are way more chunks loaded than you would expect, especially if they are spread out.

Other than that, you probably have stuff happening in those chunks. Usually that matters more than the pure number of chunks. For example turning off redstone lines lags the server a lot, as well as putting colliding entities into one spot and moving blocks high in the air, just to name a few examples.

If you're already getting "Can't keep up" messages, then the server is overloaded and you should consider doing something against that, like running it on a more powerful device, setting the render distance lower or optimising the always loaded areas against lag.

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