Help is so needed

[nightstorm]

Hello. Nightstorm here.
I've role played for close to 25 years and have always wanted to create my own world. But at last I'm a failure.
I have CC3 and adobe photoshop 7. CC3 I cannot figure which way is up. As for APS7, I'm just now (after about 3months of intense self teaching) just starting to figure out how to use it for photos but map making is far off.
I've tried drawing them out but I tend to over do it at some point ruining the map.
I'm a failure at it and don't know what to do. I watch videos and they are helpful to a point as something always seem to come up that is not covered.
I've thought of classes but at least here in califorina they cost around $600!!!
Please. I need direction.

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/darkhorizon/

[Ascension]

Welcome aboard. Look in the Tutorial section and once you've done a few you will know more about PS than you could imagine...and all for free

[Gandwarf]

Welcome to the guild...
Do check out the tutorials section for some Photoshop tutorials. And did you already watch the CC3 video tutorials on the Profantasy website?

[Steel General]

Welcome Aboard!

[icosahedron]

Nghtstorm, you seem to have picked out two of the most difficult programs to learn, or at least, that's the reputation they have.
What sort of mapping do you want to do?
If you are an artsy type but can't get your head around software, maybe a simple drawing program would allow you to create something without getting in the way, or if you have neither drawing talent nor computer skill (like me ) then a tilemapper like Dungeonforge, Dundjinni or Hexographer might be easier for you.
If you can pick out something from the Finished Maps section that you'd like to create, it would give us an idea of your aims and it might help us to suggest a solution.

[NeonKnight]

Welcome to the Guild!

CC3 I have heard is cumbersome, but once a little mastery is accomplished, it can do sooo much. I have probably only mastered about 60-70%of the true functionality of the program, but that came after only having sat down and done the tutorials.

[Redrobes]

Try mapping something known to be real simple. Maybe some 5ft per square old school dungeon style. Do it in black and white. Pick a few techniques and get good at them before going more complex. You don't need to use every function of all the apps you have. Try to use the functions you know from the photos. Drawing with a mouse and without a tablet is hard. I don't do it. I like to draw on paper, scan in and then touch up with computer or not draw at all and make maps from patterns or tokens.

A lot of the work I do in my day job has oodles of people wanting to sell courses for lots of money and I have been on a few but in almost every case it was no substitute for just doing it yourself, accepting that its going to be hard and painful at the start, you get totally lost then after a while the mist parts and light shines in. Same for everyone who succeeds. There are people who make it look easy but nobody is born a virtuoso.