Hey Matt, welcome to the Guild. Hey that map is looking really promising so far, and I like the names that you've come up with. Like yourself I've always been attracted to the LOTR maps. As for "ripping off" the LOTR style, you know what they say, "imitation is the best form of flattery." And besides, true novelty is a rare commodity these days. As I'm sure you're well aware, while style may change, the best literary and artistic themes are never novel, but rather timeless-they emerge from and depict the human conditions and are thus present in every age. Style is but a vehicle for art, and I for one, see nothing at all wrong with borrowing from the artistic styles and techniques of others, so long as you give credit where it is due. Anyway, look forward to seeing more updates of this, and any other maps you create. By the way, if you haven't already discovered this yet, you can find tons of helpful tips on map-making in the tutorials section. Happy mapping.

Cheers,

-Arsheesh.