# Same counter, two locations **URL:** \ **Category:** Module Design\ **Created:** [September 2, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/same-counter-two-locations/9045 "2017-09-02T16:48:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zgrose](https://forum.vassalengine.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@zgrose](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/zgrose)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/same-counter-two-locations/9045/1 "2017-09-02T16:48:37Z")
It seems like there is no way to have a piece appear in more than one location in the counter tray. Everything is a deep copy of its values and a new gpid is assigned, correct? ---
**Author:** ![bdgza](https://forum.vassalengine.org/user_avatar/forum.vassalengine.org/bdgza/32/6764_2.png) [@bdgza](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/bdgza)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/same-counter-two-locations/9045/2 "2017-09-02T20:54:05Z")
How could you ever have the same physical piece be in two places at once in a boardgame? ---
**Author:** ![zgrose](https://forum.vassalengine.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@zgrose](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/zgrose)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 11:18pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/same-counter-two-locations/9045/3 "2017-09-02T23:18:06Z")
I’m not judging the design, just trying to confirm if it is a limitation or if there is an alternative means to accomplish a by-reference type counter tray. ---
**Author:** ![Cundiff](https://forum.vassalengine.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@Cundiff](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/Cundiff)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 11:36pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/same-counter-two-locations/9045/4 "2017-09-13T23:36:34Z")
Well, since I have a similar problem the situation is one in which the same map, the same counter set is used to represent three distinct time periods in the same general campaign. Thus we have Scenarios 1, 2, and 3 which use the very same map and counters. How do I create different scenarios utilizing the same map and same counter set? Each scenario having different starting locations for the same counter? What I’d like to do is add the same map utilizing three different names and then create different At Start Stacks which unfortunately utilize the same counter set. ---
**Author:** ![Brent\_Easton](https://forum.vassalengine.org/user_avatar/forum.vassalengine.org/brent_easton/32/10_2.png) [@Brent\_Easton](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/Brent_Easton)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 11:51pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/same-counter-two-locations/9045/5 "2017-09-13T23:51:46Z")
Don’t use At-start stacks, that is just over-complicating things. You will end up with 3 copies of everything in your module and maintenance will become a nightmare. Create a single map and define each counter once in a Game Piece Palette. Create each of your scenario setups as save games and load them in to your module as ‘Pre-defined Setups’. ---
**Author:** ![Cundiff](https://forum.vassalengine.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@Cundiff](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/Cundiff)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 12:25am UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/same-counter-two-locations/9045/6 "2017-09-14T00:25:20Z")
That sounds logical … except, since I’m a beginner at this, “How do you” Create each of your scenario setups as save games and load them in to your module as 'Pre-defined Setups? Thanks, Tom ---
**Author:** ![Brent\_Easton](https://forum.vassalengine.org/user_avatar/forum.vassalengine.org/brent_easton/32/10_2.png) [@Brent\_Easton](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/Brent_Easton)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 12:54am UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/same-counter-two-locations/9045/7 "2017-09-14T00:54:52Z")
Play your module and create a new game a layout scenario 1. Save it as scenario1.vsav Repeat for scenarios 2 and 3, saving them as scenario2.vsav and scenario3.vsav. Now Edit your module, right-click on the top level component of the module and select ‘Add Pre-defined Setup’. Give it a name (Scenarios) and click on the ‘Parent menu?’ button and save it. You will now have a ‘Pre-defined Setup’ component in your module named ‘Scenarios’. Right-click on Scenarios and select ‘Add Pre-defined Setup’. Name it ‘Scenario 1’ and in the Saved game prompt, click the Select button and select the scenario1.vsav file you created earlier. Save the component. Repeat for Scenarios 2 and 3 and save your module. Now Play your module again and under the File menu, there should now be a menu option ‘Scenarios’ that now has 3 sub-menu options Scenario 1, Scenario 2 and Scenario 3 which will load up the appropriate save game ready to start the scenario. Copies of the 3 scenario vsav files have now been copied into your module and will not be affected by any external saving of the games in progress. ---
**Author:** ![Cundiff](https://forum.vassalengine.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@Cundiff](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/Cundiff)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 1:29am UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/same-counter-two-locations/9045/8 "2017-09-14T01:29:10Z")
Excellent. I almost had it right. Not quite, but your help explained things better than my best guesses 🙂 Thanks Much, Tom