So I recently picked up the DM mantle for my group (Earthdawn), and have been sorely disappointed with most of the maps in the supplements (and my players are based out of a home-brew city so that doesn't help).

Through sheer chance I found this site, and am sure glad I did! The amount of info you all have available is staggering. I've been slowly working my way through some of the tutorials, so hopefully soon I'll have some nice maps for my game...

I picked up CC3 and GIMP. Based on first impressions, I think I prefer GIMP a bit, if for no other reason than it's learning curve seems a bit more forgiving of those of us with limited time. I think I'll try to produce at least one complete map in both so I can make an informed decision...

Expect to see more noob questions popping up in your threads...