One of the 3 main design pillars being tackled for Fallen Enchantress is 'The World'. Wildlands, randomly generated maps, more quests/lairs/resources/creatures...we've taken all the feedback from WoM to ensure FE delivers with some really engaging worlds. When you start a new game, half the fun will be simply exploring the land!
On the visual side, a simple piece of technology that we'll be utilizing to make the world feel more magical is the old-school trick of 'atmospheric perspective' or 'distance fog'. Early 3D systems would use this as a crutch for pathetic draw distances (I'm looking at you, N64) but you can't deny that it adds a thickness to the air...a ethereal quality to the environment....that players want when exploring a fantasy world.
The challenge in Fallen Enchantress is that the main map allows players to pan between countless terrain types seamlessly. We deal with this by interpolating (animating) colors and distance fog values based on camera location and what type of environment is being looked at. And to keep this from interfering with the gameplay, it really only needs to take place in the upper 1/3rd of the screen.
The end result is a more magical and fantastic feel to the world. Instead of simply talking about the heavy post-cataclysmic fog that looms, we now get to show it!