We figured it would be easier to create a unique location/time period, but use the skeleton of a well known one like New York. It grants us a lot of capabilities in what we can modify in the city without sticking too close to what is actually there.

As an example, there is no Statue of Liberty, but instead a Statue of Justice [url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/c1/f0/85/c1f085b172889248fc28a8fc865494b8.jpg][Image][/url]. Stating why a Statue of Justice is in the landscape is a lot easier than where the Statue of Liberty has gone.

The biggest advantage is that it gives players an idea of scale and size. Knowing that one character is in the Bronx and another is in Manhattan will eliminate those accidental errors of distance teleporting or unintentional metagaming.