JTS improved map files

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Ok As a newbie to WDS (and by extension JTS) what are these improved map files?

I'll venture a guess that it's the graphic mods for 2D and 3D maps that are being talked about here.

There is/was a sort of cottage industry for these, since in the beginning (with the original HPS and then JTS) versions of the many game series, the graphics were functional, but nothing much to talk about when it came to aesthetics. It's really a matter of finding what you like for a particular game and series and installing them. There are a ton of mods scattered around this site, for example. For that matter, modding of terrain and map features is fairly easy to do, since the files are .bmp, and most paint style programs can be used. 

Since WDS has gotten involved over the years, graphics quality and appearance has constantly improved to the point where just speaking for myself, while I still use some mods (and make a few changes of my own) I find it less and less necessary to do that.

I could be wrong, but that's what I think is being addressed here.

I'd put my money on the single image maps, as the links for those aren't (at the moment) readily apparent on the WDS -so it would require their direct involvement to get those to a user.

Their own graphics files (outside of the single image map files ... meaning those that go into the Maps folder, as opposed to the Map folder) - are readily available with their updates for all of their series.