Game Servers

Getting Started With Your Game Server

Jul 13, 2026 34 views

Getting Started With Your Game Server

This guide walks you through purchasing a game server plan, accessing your server through the Pelican Panel, and getting your game up and running.

What You're Getting

Your game server is powered by Pelican, a modern game server management panel. When you purchase a plan, our system automatically provisions a dedicated server instance for you. You'll manage everything — startup, files, players, backups — through your own Pelican Panel account.

Step 1: Purchase a Plan

  1. Go to our store and choose the game and plan that fits your needs (RAM, CPU, disk space, player slots, etc.).

  2. Select your preferred server location.

  3. Add the plan to your cart and proceed to checkout.

  4. Create an account or log in if you already have one.

  5. Complete payment using one of our supported payment methods.

  6. Once payment is confirmed, your server will show as Active in your Paymenter client area.

Note: Provisioning is automatic. Most servers are ready within a few minutes of payment confirmation, though some games with larger install files may take longer. If your server doesn't activate after 15 minutes, see Troubleshooting below.

Step 2: Access Your Pelican Panel

  1. Log in to your client area (Paymenter).

  2. Go to Services and select your active game server subscription.

  3. Click Manage, then Login to Panel (or use the Pelican Panel URL and credentials provided in your welcome email).

  4. You'll land on your server's Console page inside Pelican.

Your Pelican login is separate from your Paymenter account password. If this is your first login, use the temporary password from your welcome email and change it immediately under Account Settings.

Step 3: Configure and Start Your Server

  1. From your server's Console tab, you can start, stop, or restart your server using the buttons in the top right.

  2. Go to the Startup tab to configure key settings specific to your game (version, map, game mode, etc.). Available options depend on the game.

  3. Use the File Manager tab to upload custom files, edit configs directly, or install plugins/mods.

  4. Click Start on the console. Watch the live console output to confirm the server boots successfully.

Once you see the "server started" message (wording varies by game), your server is live and ready for players to connect.

Step 4: Connect to Your Server

  1. Go to the Console tab and check the server address shown in the panel (usually an IP and port, e.g. 123.45.67.89:25565).

  2. Share this address with players, or enter it into your game client's "Direct Connect" / "Add Server" option.

  3. If your game requires port forwarding on the player's end (rare for hosted servers), that's not necessary here — the server is already publicly reachable.

Managing Your Server

From the Pelican Panel you can:

  • File Manager — upload, edit, download, or delete files directly, including configs, plugins, and mods.

  • Backups — create manual backups or restore from an existing one. Check your plan for how many backup slots are included.

  • Databases — create and manage MySQL databases if your game/plugin requires one.

  • Users (Subusers) — grant a friend or co-admin limited access to manage the server without sharing your login.

  • Schedules — automate tasks like restarts, backups, or command execution on a set interval.

  • Startup variables — fine-tune version, game-specific flags, and resource settings.

From your Paymenter client area you can:

  • Renew or upgrade — increase RAM/disk or change plans as your community grows.

  • View invoices — check billing history and upcoming renewal dates.

  • Cancel — manage auto-renewal or cancel your subscription from Services > Manage > Actions.

Troubleshooting

My server shows "Pending" after payment Refresh the page after a few minutes. If it's still pending after 15 minutes, open a support ticket with your order ID.

Server won't start / crashes immediately

  • Check the Console tab for error messages — these usually point directly to the issue (bad config, missing dependency, corrupted install).

  • If you recently uploaded a plugin or mod, try removing it and restarting to confirm it's the cause.

  • Confirm your server isn't exceeding its allocated RAM — some games crash or lag heavily when memory is maxed out.

Players can't connect

  • Double-check the IP and port shown in your panel — these can change if your service was migrated or reinstalled.

  • Confirm the server shows as Running (green) in the Console tab, not just started in-console.

  • Some games require the server to fully finish "world generation" or "map loading" before accepting connections — check the console log.

Lag or poor performance

  • Check your plan's RAM/CPU allocation against the game's recommended requirements for your player count.

  • Reduce world size, view distance, or entity/plugin count if applicable to your game.

  • Consider upgrading your plan if you're consistently near resource limits (visible under Console > Stats).

Lost my panel password Use the Forgot Password link on the Pelican login page, or reset it through Manage > Login to Panel in your Paymenter client area.

Accidentally deleted a file / need to restore Check the Backups tab first — if you have a recent backup, you can restore from it directly. If no backup exists, open a support ticket; we may be able to help depending on your plan's retention policy.

Need More Help?

If you're still having trouble, open a support ticket through your client area with the following details so we can help quickly:

  • Your order ID

  • Game and server name

  • A description of the issue, including console error messages if applicable

Last updated: July 2026