[DRG]

You'd better get a box of tissues....you're gonna need every one of them.

If Helge reads this he can tell you how long it took him to recreate the Ochsendorf and Schandelah maps ( the first two maps in the custom map screen ) but I think you already know. Both of those were build in the "hex by hex" method and show the many, MANY hours he put into them. If you want to create maps as close to real as possible the only way is to do it one hex at a time

OR...........

if you can accept "close" as a standard then practice with the Map Generator to build the basic terrain you are looking for then add the roads and town by hand. Once you have done this for awhile the new cut and paste map editor will come in handy when you decide town "A" on map "BB" would make a fine starting point for town "D" on map "EE" and you cut and paste them in and save yourself an hour or twos work

A good , general, basic terrain *can* be recreated with the map generator and you can remove all roads and towns by setting the "urbanization" to zero. once you generate a few maps and get the basics down then towns and roads ( and forests etc ) can all be put in later using the actual topo maps as a guide and I can PROMISE you that the ONLY people who *MIGHT* complain a hill is out of place are the ones who would never attempt a project like that in the first place so their "opinions" can be easily ignored

The alternative is to build it hex by hex

Don