Getting in for the first time
The panel sends you a message with a link to set your panel password; your server address is in the panel. Open that link, choose a password, then sign in at panel.fwg.world. The login form asks for your username or email address and your password, and it has a "Forgot password?" link for later.
ForgeWorld Gaming does not promise a delivery time for that message or for setting up a server, so this page does not either. If you have waited and it has not come, see the next section rather than ordering again.
If you do not get the message
- Check your spam or junk folder, and search your mail for "panel.fwg.world".
- Check that you are looking in the mailbox for the address you ordered with.
- If it is still missing, contact support from the Support page, which lists how to reach us, and include the address you ordered with. Do not send a password to anyone, support included; nobody needs it to help you.
The FAQ also covers the password link and where your server address is shown.
The tabs, one by one
Open your server from the panel's server list. Along the top you will see a row of tabs. Which ones appear depends on your permissions; the account that owns the server has all of them.
| Tab | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Console | The live server console, the power buttons (Start, Restart, Stop, and Kill while a stop is in progress), and an Address box showing your server's address and port. |
| Files | A file manager in your browser: upload files, create files and folders, and edit text files such as configuration files. |
| Backups | Create, download, restore, lock and delete the backup your plan includes. |
| Startup | The server's startup command, any startup variables the game exposes, and a Docker image selector that the panel marks as an advanced feature. |
| Settings | Rename the server, see your SFTP details, and reinstall the server. |
| Users | Invite other people to your server and choose what they may do. |
You may also see tabs named Databases, Schedules, Network and Activity. Current plans include no databases and no extra ports, so there is nothing to add on the Databases and Network tabs.
Finding your server address
On the Console tab, the Address box shows the address and port players type into the game. Click it to copy. The same address is shown against your server on the panel's server list, so you can read it without opening the server.
Starting, stopping and restarting
The power buttons sit above the console. If your server shows as offline, press Start. If your server was suspended and the suspension has been lifted, press Start as well. Stop asks the game to shut down; while a stop is in progress the button changes to Kill, which forcibly ends the process, and the panel warns that doing so "can lead to data corruption". Use Stop first and give the game time to save.
Uploading and editing files
The Files tab has an Upload button, a New File button and a Create Directory option. You can also drag and drop files onto the page. The panel states that folder uploads are not supported, so upload single files or archive a folder first. Text files open in an editor in your browser; take a backup before changing configuration files you do not understand.
For larger transfers, the Settings tab has an SFTP Details box with a server address, a username, and a note that your SFTP password is the same as the password you use for the panel. Use any SFTP client with those details.
Backups: one slot, same machine
Current plans include one backup. The Backups tab shows how many of the allowed backups have been created, and the Create backup button is only shown while there is a free slot. To take a fresh backup you therefore delete the old one first, and a locked backup cannot be deleted until you unlock it.
The backup is stored on the same machine as your server. That means it is a convenience for rolling back a mistake, not protection against losing the machine or the service: backups are deleted with the service. Use the Download option on the Backups tab, keep the copy somewhere you control, and see the backup checklist for what a good backup contains and how to prove it restores.
Restoring stops your server, and until the restore finishes you cannot control the power state, use the file manager or create more backups. The restore dialog offers a "Delete all files before restoring backup" checkbox; read it before you press Restore.
Startup, Settings and reinstalling
The Startup tab shows the command used to start your server and, for games that expose them, a list of variables. Some variables are shown read-only. Which variables exist depends on the game, so this page does not list them; read what the tab shows for your own server. Leave the Docker image selector alone unless you know why you are changing it.
On the Settings tab, "Reinstall Server" stops the server and re-runs the installation script that first set it up. The panel warns that some files may be deleted or modified, and tells you to back up your data first. Download your backup before you use it.
Inviting other people
The Users tab has an Invite User button that asks for an address and lets you choose permissions for that person. The owner of the server always has every permission. Anyone with file or console access can change or delete your world, so give out only the permissions someone needs.
Two passwords that are not the same thing
Your panel password protects your account on the panel. A join password for your game, where the game supports one, is a separate setting inside the game's own configuration; the password guide covers it for the games it lists.