Now that the scenario editor is available this is a good time to give 
some hints and tips re designing your own scenarios.

1) The first thing to note is that TAS scenario files are case 
sensitive for some variables so do look carefully at some of the 
standard scenarios to see where you should be using capitals.

2) The best way to start off a new scenario is to use an existing one 
or indeed several, cutting and pasting the values to make new files. 
Whilst this is the best approach it does give rise to the risk of 
using duplicate numbers for TF's or duplicate names for ships and so 
on.

3) One approach I have found useful is to open a copy (important 
preserve the original) of files such as AxisShips.cfg in a program 
such as Excel which can sort columns of data into alphabetic order. 
This can rapidly highlight where you have duplicates and can also 
show up where you might have used upper or lower case wrongly. 

4) It is important to make sure that ports are actually touching the 
sea. In fact nothing bad will happen if they are entirely in the sea 
(except it may not look right) but if they are actually inland, TF's 
can get stuck. TAS has a substantial magnification capability and a 
port that looks ok on low zoom can actually be inland on full 
magnification! In difficult cases you can always use the Exit Point 
facility so you can effectively place the entry and exit to the port 
in the sea although its visible point on the map is on land. Whilst 
TAS does use genuine Longitude and Latitude, there are often 
sufficient differences, to values quoted in gazeteers, such that a 
port will be placed inland. Do use a gazeteer to get the right 
general position for your port but then examine its actual location 
on full zoom to check that it is on the sea.

5) Do not forget that TAS likes to have 3 line feeds below the last 
entry in the Bases file - if these are omitted a base port might seem 
to be present but ships cannot always use it. 

6) The editor is really useful for setting up way points. However, 
you need to be aware that it currently does not show way points that 
your TF has already passed. For example a convoy or bombardment TF 
may start some way along its path as convoys need an origin to which 
they might return if suffering heavy damage and bombardment forces 
will retrace their course after bombarding. To set this up you use 
the CWPI=n variable where CWPI is current way point index and n is 
the number of the way point the TF has reached at the start of the 
scenario. If you want to see the whole route your TF might follow 
(there and back) then initially omit the CWPI value. Once you are 
happy that the route avoids headlands etc then put in the CWPI=n 
value and this will enable you to check the actual timings on the 
route from your planned initial point. Timings can be very important 
for example you might want your TF to arrive at night or in 
coordination with other TF's.

7) TAS has a randomising facility to allow TF's to vary somewhat from 
the actual path specified - be aware of this in planning a route that 
passes close to land.

8) When I first develop a scenario I often exit FS without fighting 
as I am initially more concerned with the routes TF's might take 
after the battle. TAS will grumble that it has not found various 
ships in the end of scenario file but after that it carries on with 
zero damage to the participants.

9) Do consider the endurance of the ships you are using. German DD's 
in particular are rather short legged and if your way points take 
them too far they will only have to detach to seek fuel. You can 
cheat by giving them a higher CURRENTENDURANCE value than they should 
have if you do not trust the AI to refuel sensibly.

I hope I have not alarmed you with the above list. It is likely that 
most people will make mistakes the first time they try scenario 
building but nothing drastic should happen and it can be fun to try 
to work out why the TF's did something other than expected. 

If you are trying your hand, do post any queries here and I will be 
happy to try to help.

Mike Fox
NWS Beta Tester