Can the view distance fog ever be removed?

Malyore · March 31

While they are talking about improved exploration, I gotta say that not actually being able to see the range of the zone I'm in is so disheartening. ESPECIALLY if you are returning to an area like Skyrim, where players are already familiar with seeing crisp mountains and trees and color in the distance.

But for any zone really, it feels like I'm being suffocated by smog, which makes the zone feel a lot smaller and emptier without seeing something in the distance that makes me say "I want to go there."

Is it a setting that could be changed for folks with the hardware specs to handle it, or is it a limitation of the game/server itself? Can it be addressed when they continue refreshing the zones?

NotaDaedraWorshipper · April 1

I remember there was a mod that removed it once, but it was dangerous to use, because it was detected and seen as cheat tool because of how it worked. I do wish there was a setting to remove or push it back further to one's liking.

Like it's a bit weird seeing fog in a desert.

virtus753 · April 1

NotaDaedraWorshipper wrote: »

I remember there was a mod that removed it once, but it was dangerous to use, because it was detected and seen as cheat tool because of how it worked. I do wish there was a setting to remove or push it back further to one's liking.

Like it's a bit weird seeing fog in a desert.

I remember Daybreak had this function. When the game stopped working with Daybreak, the devs clarified it was against ToS to use. I’m not sure if they commented specifically on the fog viewing distance.

Since then they have commented that Reshade is within ToS, but they did not respond to a request for clarification about why Reshade is ok but Daybreak is not, which would have been helpful to figure out which features were the issue.

Arunei · April 1

Fog exists for performance, so the game doesn't have to render stuff in the distance that you wouldn't be able to really see details on anyway because of how far away it is. Mountains, buildings, and so on just look like blobs, they don't even really look like mountains, buildings, and so on, since they have no real texturing. You wouldn't get 'crisp' anything, unfortunately.

They could probably add a toggle for it, but the game just looks...weird with the fog removed imo.

whitecrow · April 1

I love the thick fog that sometimes appears on the north coast of Skyrim. It makes the land seem larger.

Malyore · April 1

Arunei wrote: »

Fog exists for performance, so the game doesn't have to render stuff in the distance that you wouldn't be able to really see details on anyway because of how far away it is. Mountains, buildings, and so on just look like blobs, they don't even really look like mountains, buildings, and so on, since they have no real texturing. You wouldn't get 'crisp' anything, unfortunately.

They could probably add a toggle for it, but the game just looks...weird with the fog removed imo.

Ideally they would add some form of texturing. It doesn't have to be something unbefitting of this game, I imagine. I'd take a low poly mountain or city over cataracts + smog any day.
As it is, standing anywhere outdoors makes the zone feel like they're only 200 meters in diameter before it becomes a dull skybox. The instinct when I see a silhouette of a city or hillside in the distance is that it is just a background element, not something I can actually go to.

Tandor · April 1

Malyore wrote: »

Arunei wrote: »

Fog exists for performance, so the game doesn't have to render stuff in the distance that you wouldn't be able to really see details on anyway because of how far away it is. Mountains, buildings, and so on just look like blobs, they don't even really look like mountains, buildings, and so on, since they have no real texturing. You wouldn't get 'crisp' anything, unfortunately.

They could probably add a toggle for it, but the game just looks...weird with the fog removed imo.

Ideally they would add some form of texturing. It doesn't have to be something unbefitting of this game, I imagine. I'd take a low poly mountain or city over cataracts + smog any day.
As it is, standing anywhere outdoors makes the zone feel like they're only 200 meters in diameter before it becomes a dull skybox. The instinct when I see a silhouette of a city or hillside in the distance is that it is just a background element, not something I can actually go to.

Assuming you're not exaggerating, that sounds more like a limitation with your hardware or settings.

Any restrictions are likely to be highly influenced by the continued support for old generation consoles.

Malyore · April 2

Tandor wrote: »

Malyore wrote: »

Arunei wrote: »

Fog exists for performance, so the game doesn't have to render stuff in the distance that you wouldn't be able to really see details on anyway because of how far away it is. Mountains, buildings, and so on just look like blobs, they don't even really look like mountains, buildings, and so on, since they have no real texturing. You wouldn't get 'crisp' anything, unfortunately.

They could probably add a toggle for it, but the game just looks...weird with the fog removed imo.

Ideally they would add some form of texturing. It doesn't have to be something unbefitting of this game, I imagine. I'd take a low poly mountain or city over cataracts + smog any day.
As it is, standing anywhere outdoors makes the zone feel like they're only 200 meters in diameter before it becomes a dull skybox. The instinct when I see a silhouette of a city or hillside in the distance is that it is just a background element, not something I can actually go to.

Assuming you're not exaggerating, that sounds more like a limitation with your hardware or settings.

Any restrictions are likely to be highly influenced by the continued support for old generation consoles.

That's why I asked if a setting can be allowed for those with hardware that can allow it. I'm on PS5. Not top end, but it's gotta be more capable than this.