Ok I've created a map (A map showing locations not an actual place in the game). My question is how do I make it so that when you visit an area, only then does it appear on the map? Like in Castlevania games when you visit that room or section of the map its then unlocked. Is this possible to do? Maybe using variables? Any help - Much appreciated . feel free to press for details.

Well, here's how I'd do it-- this solution might or might not be the best one.

I'd create each area that can be unlocked as a Picture, by creating one big map, and then Cutting and Pasting away parts of it, but I'd make sure that each Picture was the same size, so that if you stacked all the Pictures on top of each other at the same coordinates, you'd have the entire map.

Then, I'd have the Map event contain a series of Conditional Branches, checking a series of switches. If Switch X is on, Show Picture X.

Finally, I'd have entering an area, or some other trigger, turn Switch X on, where X is the # of the area.

Pretty straightforward. Let me know if you want a little more detail, but if you'll post a screenshot of the Map Event that you're using, it'll be easier to explain how to adjust your version.

Okay if this was my map (which its not, its just a quick mock up), how would I go about it?

I'd cut the map into separate pieces and assign them each to a switch in the doorway to each room, then once the switches on, call the pieces up.

Hate to ask a nooby question but how exactly would I go about that? (Besides from cutting up the map. Im not that nooby lol)

put a 'player touch' acted event in the doorway that turns on a switch.
make that switch turn the event onto another page with a parallel process to erase itself or something.

Then have another event, a parallel process, that checks if the switch is one (conditional branch or something) then displays a picture if the switch is on.

There are other ways of course.

That way works fine . Perfect even. Thanks very much