Starting:
when you start up vassal, you should see something like this
If you don't see SWM Skirmish game, you need to find the file.
I assume that since you have the map selected you got this far.
at this point, click on
Star Wars Minis Skirmish Gameyou should see something like this
when you see this it is very important to click on
Look for a game onlineafter you click "Finish" you should see this
At this point, you should see a "Connections" box to the right of your screen, hopefully with people in it. From here you can type in the text box any questions you have about how to use vassal. If there is anyone else there, they will be able to help you out.
If you never got the option to "Look for a game online" then you need to change the preferences.
NOTE: THIS IS ONLY IF THE FIRST 3 STEPS DID NOT WORK FOR YOU!
You need to go to File: preferences
and make sure that the "View startup wizard" box is marked
after that, repeat steps 1 through 3