>>36961416While technically true, that doesn't mean you have to do it by heart, you know.
I have a region that's based on where I am, but that doesn't mean it's a 1:1 representation. Or that there aren't just entirely made up places. The important river here doesn't come from runoff flow of of a mountain and out of a cave in the north, nor does it flow to the southeast before emptying into the ocean (it's just a normal river that flows northeast into a bay from which the ocean is accessible).
Also, while there is an areas with high winds to the west, we also don't have a desert because of those high winds unlike in my region version. Nor is there an oil outfit in that windy region like there is in my desert version of it (though we do have oil drilling off the EAST coast).
Inspiration stops being inspiration when you're just directly remaking the existing thing.
I mean... Do you really think there are a maximum of like 3 dozen people living in many places in Japan and New York? Either not being exact is okay or it's not.
It is indeed okay to not be exact, just it case that's too hard for you to figure out. In fact, not being exact would be the ideal, especially in a game which should be fun and teach you things, not be tedious for reality sake. 
