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Message: <blockquote data-quote="gamerprinter" data-source="post: 6057191" data-attributes="member: 50895">Your best bet is to visit the <a href="http://www.cartographersguild.com/forum.php" target="_blank">Cartographers' Guild</a> forums, a site dedicated to fictional maps (mostly RPG maps), with most of the industry pro cartographers and software designers as members.  Here's a link to my <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/miscellaneous-geek-talk-media-lounge/257465-gamerprinters-map-emporeum.html" target="_blank">Maps thread</a> here at EN World, to see the kind of maps I create!  Most mappers there seem to prefer GIMP (image editor like Photoshop, and not easy to use, and not a map program per se), while many use Campaign Cartographer 3, NBOS Fractal Mapper, Dundjinni and many other software (I use Xara Designer Pro, for example). Visit the Finished Maps and Cartographer's Choice forums to view maps and look for a style you like (threads usually include what software was used to design them). Once you find software creating the kind of maps you want, go to the Software forum to find where to get it. Once you have your software, go to the Tutorials forum where there are hundreds of tutorials for varying software and varying map types to get what you need. Don't worry about fighting the interface, these tutorials will make it easy and obvious for you. Once you start designing your maps, post it as a work-in-progress in the WIP forums to get expert advice, tips and critiques. Many mappers show up as total newbs and in 6 months or less become experts creating works of art in mapping - it happens all the time. It's worth a visit for anyone interested in game maps.</blockquote>

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