One can just copy-pasta the map_config.xml over from the other maps, and edit them as you see fit. Usually one doesn't need to mess with this file, unless you want to make the map only work for specific mods by referencing a specific faction. Most TC mods I've seen don't create new factions, and instead overwrite the existing ones, so that usually is unnecessary.
Object.svg's are vector image files. Like PNG or JPEG, except PNG and JPEG are Bitmaps. Vectoring basically allows you to zoom in indefinitely without the image getting pixelated. To create .svg files you need a vector imaging program, the free program that I use is Inkscape.
I actually haven't messed with the terrain.cfg files as they are not necessary, they overwrite the default values, and the default values actually seem to work pretty well, most of the time. You can copy-pasta them over from another map if you want to edit the contents, most of it is stuff about how the game reads various settings in the map, like the height map.
To integrate sounds, it depends on what you're doing. If you're making, say, a background noise. All you do is plop in the custom sounds you made into the map folder, and it should auto-load them. Check some of the other maps, one or two of them have "Custom" sounds specific for that map. If it's anything else, I'm not really sure.
To place vehicles, check one of the other maps, there are a couple blue or yellow rectangles with black lines on one of the sides, they should be under the objects or other layer, depending on the map. right click and go to properties to see the vehicle key (It'll probably be a jeep due to how common they are on maps). Copy this object from the map in question, and if you want to change the vehicle just rename the vehicle it references to the vehicle in the vehicle file (IE: apc.vehicle or tank.vehicle, etc.)
I actually am terrible at drawing the alphas myself. I need to ask Jackmayol about that more. If you ask him about it, please forward me what he says so Ican have it in the tutorial.
The only alphas I'm really good at making are the road alphas, I just copy a piece of road from another map and make a lot of copies of it, then edit it and add vertexes and bends to it to suit my needs.
The combine alpha is generated when you use the .bat files.
To use the .bat files you'll need some files that are created when using the RWR inkscape extension. The extension is in the tools/\nkscape folder in the RWR directory. Place those two files in your \share\extensions folders in your inkscape directory (C:\Program Files (x86)\Inkscape\ for me). When you export the files from object.svg, take the output files and put them in the folder with the .batch files, you'll also need a couple files from image magick, a freebie program, (don't worry, I'll attach the .rar in question). Put all those output files, the image magick files I attached, and the .bat files together in the same folder. Run process.bat, then process_post.bat thenprocess_map_veiw.bat. All the files it created (All of which, except for map.png, should start with terrain5_alpha) will then be placed in the folder with the object.svg
The map file in total, to be ran by the game, needs the objects.svg, those terrain5_alpha .pngs, the map.png, and the map_config.xml - everything else is optional, but of course tweakable.
Thanks for the questions, these are really the sort of things that I can see other people having issues with as well, so I'll make sure to try and cover this stuff in detail when I make the tutorial.
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which I guess is pretty obvious... I'm pretty clueless about making maps on this game.