Delak,
The four maps combine into a single -reprint- of the map found in the FRCS hardback. In other words, they are missing -a lot- of detail.
Delak,
I run a FR game and the reason that I chose the FRCS is because of the Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas! Not only can you print out whatever magnification of map area that you want but, there are a TON of "detail maps" of floor plans, dungeon plans and city street plans. The product is an amazing tool. The detail maps are comprised of maps taken from old adventures and modules. I just finished running my group through the old "Pharoah" module - after upgrading it to 3.5 and I found every single map used in the old module in the Atlas. It allowed me to print out the maps in a scale I could easily read and annotate. Check out ebay for it. I’ve seen it for sale recently and it’s pretty cheap now (about $30) compared to it’s $100 price tag when it came out. It is worth every penny if you are running a FR game though.
BTW it also has three "downloadable updates" to it which are huge files, but just load more and more detail maps into it. (Available from the WoTC site)
The company website for ProFantasy re: the Atlas is here if you're interested:
http://www.profantasy.com/fratlas/FRAtlashome.htm
And you can also download for free from WoTC tons of 2nd ed. Forgotten Realms stuff
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads
which is fairly easy to convert and allows you to explore Maztica and other rarely used areas.
Good luck
I got lucky and picked up the Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas for only $9.99 at a close out sale at some elctronics store. So keep an eye out, you can probably find a good deal.
Has anyone noticed the differences between the older maps
and the new ones. Just look up some old Aglarond/Thay maps
and compare to the new. The watchwall for example moved to
the south of the Yuirwood. Kind of funny! Any comments??
I was really disappointed when I received mine in the mail about a month ago. I had heard that they were the greatest thing since sliced bread, and I was hoping they were going to be more detailed. But when I got them, I had really 2 major problems. One, the maps didn't line up with each other, and two, it's just one friggin big map of the one you get in the forgotten realms campaign guide. Hoody hoo. My eyesight isn't bad, and I was hoping since it was a bigger map, it would have more detail. Nope, It's just an enlarged version of the one in the campaign guide. bollucks.
I have the maps in question and are great for the "world at a glance view" i randomly place my dungeons have interaction in the larger towns kept to a minimum but there are better maps out there but for these the price was right would love to see more in the future...would also like to see more of the free dice and such in the issues freebies are an added perk and it gives you something to use in the next gaming session, i use the odd little six sider from i guess issue 290 for exclusive charachter generation because it is friggin awesome...
I saved mine from the Dragons they came in and taped them all together. That huge map has travelled from Seattle to Edmonton (Alberta) to Curacao (south caribbean) back to Edmonton to Austin to Dayton (Ohio) and back to Seattle where I am now. It's the first thing I put on my wall when I move into a new place - it makes it feel like home. Thusly I feel an irrational attraction to that huge, dog-eared, torn and taped map on my wall. Plus it's handy to have around since I DM so much Forgotten Realms.