VASSAL Quick-Start Guide

More details can be found in the User's Guide.

Starting a Game

Select File->New Game to begin a new game.  You may be prompted to choose a side or select boards.  At any point, select File->Save Game to save a snapshot of the current game to a file.  The game may resume by selecting File->Load Game.

Moving Pieces

Pieces are moved by clicking and dragging with the mouse.  To place pieces initially, use the buttons on the main window toolbar to show the game piece palette and drag pieces onto the map. Pieces stack if you move them onto one another, and clicking and dragging will move the entire stack.  Double-click on a stack to expand it.  Click on a piece and use the arrow keys to change the position of a piece within a stack. When a stack is expanded, you can drag individual pieces into or out of it, or you can shift-click to select multiple units, then click on one of them and drag to move them all at once. The map scrolls when you drag the mouse near the edges. Also, you can use the number pad keys (you may need to hit the Num Lock key first).

Modifying Pieces

Right-click (Mac: command-click) on a counter for a drop-down menu of commands. Each command has a keyboard shortcut. To use the keyboard shortcut, click on a game piece (it will become highlighted), then type in the keyboard shortcut for the command.

Playing over a live connection

Connecting

Hit the "Server" button in the main window toolbar to reveal the server controls. Hit the "Connect" button to connect. You'll see a welcome message in the controls window when connection is complete. A list of active game rooms appears on the left. The "Main Room" one is a meeting room for talking with other players.

Chatting

In the center of the main window is an area for displaying text messages and, immediately below it, an area for typing your own messages.  Hit return to send the message.  Any text you type into a map window is echoed to the chat text entry area as well.  Your chat messages will be sent to all other players in the same room on the server. You may also open a private channel to another player via the popup menu by right-clicking on his name.

Beginning a game

To begin a game, type the name of a new room into the field above the list of active game rooms. The new room will be created and you will join it. To join an existing game room, double click on the room name in the list. You'll see a list of players currently connected to the room you're in. The first person to join the room should begin a game as described above. After joining the room, other players should right-click on the name of any player already in the room and select "Synchronize." A game map will appear automatically with the same information as on the other player's screen. From that point on, any pieces moved by any of the players in the room will automatically be echoed on all the other players' screens.

Messages

The server maintains a message board for players to find opponents, arrange game, etc. Use the Server  toolbar buttons to post and read message.

Playing by Email

You can use VASSAL to play games by email as well. Start a new game, place your pieces, then select File->Begin Logfile. All moves and chat text will be recorded in the logfile. When finished, select File->End Logfile and email the resulting file to your opponent. Your opponent then selects File->Load Game and chooses the logfile you sent him by email. He may then step through your move one at a time by hitting the Step button, interrupting whenever appropriate to create his own logfile to send back to you. When reading and writing a logfile simultaneously, the moves read in from your opponent's logfile are echoed and recorded into the one you are writing.