I want to start new tasks in an ongoing project on the current date, though cannot find a simple way to do this.

A new activity has per default no start date in Merlin.
Its planing depends on where you insert it within the Merlin project.

• If you insert it as a sub activity into an activities group, it will be pushed to start at the start of the activities group, due to the group’s scheduling.
• If you insert it in on top level of your project, your new activity will start either on the project’s start date,

OR in case you have enabled dynamic shifting in the Project settings, it will be pushed to the status date (status date is today, in case you hadn’t set it)

• If you insert an activity and link it by finish to start to a predecessor, the newly inserted activity will be pushed accordingly.

NOTE: In none of those cases the given planned start date will be explicitly entered, the activity will only be pushed to an expected date because it cannot start earlier due to the parent activity, predecessor, or dynamic shifting of the project.

To access the project settings:
File > Project Settings…