yea... the way the maps are gridded is so odd... the coordinates go like side to side rather than straight up and dowm, so making a map w/o zoom in seems impossible... any tips? HOW DO YOU DO IT (esp Marla!!!!)?????

Try the utility called bmptobic which is available at Apolyton.

It allows you to create the map in bmp then import it into Civ3 bic file using the program. ;)