Of course, Tiana - even the software I use allows me to do things to the lines to make it into art instead of just a 4 point line. I can create art and call it a line and draw it with the line tool. I simply stated with my preference and belief. For somebody else it may be the best way to generate a map. I'm not saying it's wrong for everybody, rather it was wrong for me - I wouldn't do that under any circumstance.
Another big difference with me, these days, is I'm fairly certain my freelance cartography career is over - there are a few old clients that if they asked for a map, that I'd still comply for them, but for the greater market, I'm done as a freelancer. I'm finding that my own publications make a lot more money in the same amount of time I spend doing large commissions that preclude me from getting my own publishing work complete. Freelance is now in the way of me making better profits. So I really don't even need to concern myself with the needs of the person commissioning the art, since I'm the guy doing the commissioning, and the guy creating the art - and looking at my 3D thread in the General Forum, I create all the other art for my projects as well.
Again, I'm not criticizing anything, I'm simply pointing how I prefer to create map - which may be totally unique in the world. I'm not stating how anybody other than me should do anything. Do what works best for you. I think you misunderstand. I don't use just Xara Designer Pro, although a good 90% of my maps were created exclusively using Xara. Xara can do most everything I need, there's no need to look at other software, when everything I need is in Xara. Still I do hand-drawn work. I sometimes find the need to tweak color or blur in the terrain using Photoshop, but I rarely need that. I've been using 3D extensively even in vector based maps because some map objects are more difficult to depict in 2D and 3D can help. I've also created entirely 3D generated maps - no vector, image editing, eveything is 3D except the labeling. So I've always used more than one software application in many of my maps. Regarding Xara map, everything about it is efficient and editable - I find it the easiest graphics program to use and very powerful.
I am not opposed to looking at other software - I've used Campaign Cartographer, Affinity, Photoshop, Illustrator, GIMP, Dundjini, even played with Inkarnate. I've also used Painter, Maya, 3D Studio, Nichimen Mirai, Nichimen Nendo, Cinema 4D, ZBrush, Blender, etc. I've on occasion used 4 different programs working on the same map. However, I use Xara because it can do 3D, I can make the art look like it was created in Photoshop, as vector it has infinitely more control with lines and shapes than any image editor. It's fast, easy, powerful, and I can create a map with it alone, where I might need five other programs to do the same using any other software. I don't usually need more than what Xara provides. I'm not limiting myself at all.
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