When you say "your own version" of the map, what does that mean? Basically, yeah, if you have taken an existing map and re-drawn it in your own style, that's good to go (I can't even count how many people have posted their fan maps of Tolkien's Middle-Earth over the years). If it's a map drawn by someone else that you've touched up on Photoshop to alter some colours, add a few city icons, or something to that effect, then I would say it's not an original piece, if that makes any sense?
Robbie's "the map as a whole should be an original creation" gave me pause, because it's not defined. Sure, people re-draw Middle Earth all the time, and are always looking at existing maps when they do. But by my definition, their maps are not "original." Your take on it is clearer to me, but still I'm not looking to get chastised if I post something that's not "original."
As I said, I used Hexkit to make my own version of the published map, because the original is in black and white. It's also hand-drawn. Hexkit uses proprietary artwork on hex tiles that the user can assemble into a map and share non-commercially. So neither the map layout nor the tile artwork are my own, only my assemblage of tiles to represent the original published map in a new format.
Robbie doesn't have a problem with programs like Hexkit per se, but nonetheless by my understanding of the word "original" all those re-draws of Middle-Earth shouldn't be posted here.
So I guess I just need to hear from a site rep... It's all so complicated. I'm a game master, I like maps, and I wanted to share mine with the community. Heck, even one of the original authors of the adventure module encouraged me to share my version of the map on the Goodman Games site! But this site says "original only."
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