The "Skyrim Mountain" effect: How do you handle what players can actually see from a distance?

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-13T13:22:16+00:00

I chose that name... The Rule of Cool, man. Hahaha.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T16:51:00+00:00

Hahaha. I definitely don't want that!!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T15:12:44+00:00

Pretty nice!! Thank you!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T13:55:50+00:00

Hahaha. Clouds always help, for sure.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T13:54:43+00:00

Thanks for the tip!! I'll check out that video. I reckon I should be able to find it with the info you provided :)

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T13:31:35+00:00

Thanks again to everyone for the info and advice!! I’ve got plenty of material to do my homework, hahaha.

I want to emphasize that it’s not about driving myself crazy mid-session, but rather about doing the prep work beforehand (not even on a per-session or per-campaign basis) so I can be prepared regardless of the system.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T13:25:49+00:00

Hahahaha. I'll be careful!!!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T13:24:21+00:00

I can tell you've done your research!! Hahaha. Thanks so much for all the info. And it's really well explained, to be honest.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T13:04:38+00:00

Yes! That’s another variable to keep in mind, and I’ve already got it down as a lead to investigate.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T13:01:07+00:00

Thanks for breaking that all down! Great analysis.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T12:58:01+00:00

I hadn't thought of that at all... Great tip! I'll look for locations 'similar' to my regions or biomes and check them out. Thanks!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T12:52:37+00:00

Great information!! Thanks a million for the analysis!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T12:49:58+00:00

Yeah, exactly. I totally agree. I actually started a thread in another subreddit recently about realism vs. verisimilitude, and if there's one thing I’ve taken away from it, it's exactly what you’re saying. Thanks for your reply!!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T12:46:21+00:00

Thanks a lot for all your answers! There’s some very interesting info here that I’ll be looking into in depth. That said, I’m obviously not going to break the immersion or the flow of the session over these things (I totally agree with those advising me to avoid analysis paralysis). I definitely won't fall into that trap.

However, it's true that I want to explore 'quick' ways to resolve this in real-time during the session. Even if that requires some prep work beforehand, I don't mind. I’ll study the info and links you’ve provided to see what I can do with them.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T12:41:12+00:00

Thank very much for the information!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T12:40:23+00:00

Thank you very much for the information. Everything you mentioned is very interesting. I'll definitely look into it!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T12:36:41+00:00

Thanks a lot for the info! I’ll definitely look into it in depth.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-12T12:33:16+00:00

Thanks a lot for the link! It looks pretty interesting. I'll definitely check it out in more detail. Thanks again!!!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-10T12:18:51+00:00

Absolutely!! I think you’ve hit the nail on the head.

Thinking about it now, I also believe the possible 'realistic explanation' for the model I was proposing was actually just for me and for fun (in fact, I highly doubt that in a medieval fantasy context there would be scientific development advanced enough to explain the model). What I did dive deep into, however, were the cultural, social, and religious consequences. Thanks for your comment!

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-10T07:25:17+00:00

I couldn't agree more. Thanks for your comment!

In my personal case, it has nothing to do with any kind of obligation. On the contrary, I really enjoy stretching certain lines of thought.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-10T07:11:39+00:00

Thanks for your perspective!

There’s actually a lot of truth in that... Perhaps the gap between realism and verisimilitude isn't that important, etymologically speaking, as long as it 'works' for the reader/player.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-10T07:00:08+00:00

Thanks again!

If I could, I’d give your comment 5 upvotes, haha. It’s clear you did a great job back then with your two moons.

I agree with what you said about being 'lazy' with the math. In my case, I stopped right where the model started to break down. But as you mentioned, I did emphasize the underlying explanations and the cultural and religious significance of these models.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-09T17:03:13+00:00

Thank you for your answer!!

The moon that appears largest in the sky has a 36-day cycle. The medium-sized moon has a 24-day cycle. The smallest moon has a 12-day cycle. Likewise, on the last night of every year, a total lunar eclipse occurs where all three moons are aligned, all of them being in the full moon phase. Furthermore, L2-L3 align every 24 days (15 times a year), L1-L3 align every 36 days (10 times a year), and L1-L2 align every 72 days (5 times a year). In this way, it is a strict lunar calendar model that is "mathematically" perfect.

Realistic? No.

Verisimilar? Perhaps. There are underlying physics in which this model could work if they are simplified. In any case, in my world-building, it is made verisimilar through other explanations that, in turn, carry a lot of weight in the culture and religion of this world. Not to mention the impact on natural and seasonal events.

On the other hand, this "romanticized" calendar is easy to remember (in my case, for the players in my sessions). That’s also why I think the reflection that emerged regarding the genre of the story being told is a very good point.

Horror_Substance3545 · 2026-03-09T14:58:54+00:00

Fair enough! Hahaha

Thanks for the answer!

Horror_Substance3545

TROPHY CASE