Community management guide
Everything in your community server management tab, explained in the order you actually use it.
Updated:
1. The flow in 30 seconds
This is the order you want to use them in, and it is not the order of the tab bar: there, Remote control comes second. If this is your first time, follow this list rather than the bar: until you have a paired server and two presets saved, you cannot start anything.
- Servers — you connect your Windows PC with the Node Manager.
- Session presets — the rules: durations, damage, tyres, weather.
- Rotations — what gets raced: the track + class list, in order.
- Remote control — start and stop by hand, right now.
- Events — a one-off race with a date and time, published on your calendar.
- Championships — several rounds with scoring and overall standings.
Tip: One session preset and one rotation preset are REQUIRED to start. That is deliberate: without a session preset the rules would fall back to invisible defaults and you would get filler AI in the room.
2. Servers: connecting your PC
The AMS2 dedicated server runs on a Windows PC of yours, not on Gonky Racing. The Node Manager is the app that manages it and connects it to the site.
- Press Add server and give it a name you will recognise ("Home", "Madrid").
- Download the Gonky Node Manager (.exe) and install it on that PC.
- Copy the pairing code and paste it into the Node Manager during the install. It lasts 10 minutes and is single use.
- Once the status turns to Paired, you can use the rest of the tabs.
Tip: You can have several servers at once: one per PC, each with its own token. That is what lets an event pick "the first one that is free".
3. Session presets: the rules
A session preset is everything except what gets raced: practice, qualifying and race lengths, tyre wear, fuel use, damage, penalties, weather, allowed aids, minimum licence and the room password.
- Save as many presets as formats you run: one for short evening races, one for endurance, one for track days.
- Editing a preset changes everything that uses it, including championship rounds already created: it is re-read when the server starts.
- The room password is set here, not in the server name.
4. Rotations: what gets raced
A rotation is the list of track + class combinations the room will chain through, in order. After the last one it loops back to the first.
- Pick track and class with the visual picker: you see each track's photo and layout.
- You can pin a specific car within the class, or leave it free.
- Only one rotation is active at a time; when you start, the one you choose becomes the active one.
Careful: Not every track fits a big grid. If you set more slots than fit, the warning will tell you — and if you ignore it, the server may swap the track on its own.
5. Remote control: local or remote
Here you pick a server and drive it: room name, session preset, rotation preset, and start or stop. This is the part that confuses people most, for one reason: the mode.
- Local mode: you are in charge from the Node Manager, on the PC. The site cannot touch that server.
- Remote mode: the site is in charge. This is the one events and championships need in order to start on their own.
- The mode is switched in the Node Manager, on the PC itself. It cannot be changed from the site.
- Event prefix: fixed text placed before your events' names. It does not affect manual starts.
Careful: In remote mode, the Node Manager start button is disabled while the site has orders in flight, and you will see the queue on screen. It stops the room coming up with the previous configuration.
6. Events: a race with a date
An event is a one-off race, outside any championship: you give it a name, presets, server and time, and at that time the room starts by itself. It is also published on your community calendar so people can see it and save it.
- Name (up to 32 characters) — it is what drivers will see in the AMS2 browser.
- Session and rotation presets — the rules and what gets raced, same as in Remote control.
- Node Manager — either pick a specific one, or leave "first available" and it is decided at the event's time.
- Date and time in your local time. Optional poster, 1600×900.
Tip: The room name is built automatically: server prefix + " | " + event name. You see a preview before saving. If the server has no prefix, only the event name is used.
Careful: If you pick a specific server and it is running at that time, the event stops and reloads it — even with people inside. With "first available", only free servers are used.
7. Championships: several rounds
A championship groups several rounds with scoring and overall standings. Each round has its track, class, preset and time, and the server starts on its own for each one.
- Create the championship: name, season, cover, and whether it is public or password-protected.
- Add rounds: track, class, image and the session preset that sets their rules.
- Inside each round, set the race time and add whatever practices you want.
- Adjust the points per position and, if you like, the automatic BOP based on standings.
Tip: Championships use the same presets as everything else. If you change a preset mid-season, the rounds not yet run change too.
If something will not start
The event says "Not loaded"
This is the most common one and it is almost always the mode: the Node Manager was in local, or the app was closed. Open it, switch to remote and press Retry on the event notice. If you would rather use another server, pick it in the dropdown of that same notice before retrying.
It will not let me start
Presets are missing: you need one session and one rotation preset, both. If the Node Manager button is greyed out, the site has orders in flight; wait a few seconds for the queue to empty.
The server starts with a different track
Almost certainly that track cannot fit the grid you asked for. Lower the slots or change track: the warning when building the rotation tells you how many fit.
I cannot see my event on the calendar
Cancelled events are not published. The rest always appear, including ones already launched, which stay as history. Check you did not cancel it by accident.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to leave the PC on?
Yes. The AMS2 server runs on your PC, so for an event or a round to start on time, the PC must be on, with the Node Manager open and in remote mode.
What is the difference between an event and a championship?
An event is a one-off race: no points, no overall standings. A championship is several chained rounds that do score and keep a table. If you are racing one night and that is it, it is an event.
Can I have several servers?
Yes, one per Windows PC, each with its own token. With several you can leave events on "first available" and the system will pick whichever is free at that time.
Can I edit an event once created?
Yes, as long as it has not started. Once launched it stays as history and cannot be touched. You can also cancel it: it disappears from the calendar but nothing is deleted.
Who can manage all this?
The community owner and admins manage servers and tokens. Moderators can see the status and use remote control, but they do not touch credentials.
Do drivers see the calendar?
Yes. Anyone visiting your community page sees the calendar with your events and championship rounds, and can subscribe to get it in Google Calendar, Apple or Outlook.