# How does see\_cost work?

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-see-cost-work/28207>\
**Category:** The Garage\
**Created:** [September 27, 2022, 9:19am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-see-cost-work/28207 "2022-09-27T09:19:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![phoeo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/phoeo/32/12082_2.png) [@phoeo](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/phoeo)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 9:19am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-see-cost-work/28207/1 "2022-09-27T09:19:12Z")

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`see_cost` is an overmap tile parameter which is supposed to determine the visibility of tile on overmap. it is documented here:

> **[New Contributor Guide Locations · CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA Wiki](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/wiki/New-Contributor-Guide-Locations)**
>
> Cataclysm - Dark Days Ahead. A turn-based survival game set in a post-apocalyptic world. - New Contributor Guide Locations · CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA Wiki

I wanted to make landmarks spottable from longer distance by increasing their see\_cost. However, I tried to set it to arbitrarily high numbers (20, 1000, 10000) and it doesn’t seem to change much. Also, for some reason I can’t find where it is used in the code.

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**Author:** ![Scais](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71e660/32.png) [@Scais](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Scais)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2022, 1:09pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-see-cost-work/28207/2 "2022-09-27T13:09:47Z")

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My understanding based on the wording of the documentation is as follows:

Your character by default can see X overmap tiles.

By default every overmap tile counts as 1 tile (the see\_cost is ‘1’)

By increasing the see\_cost you then are basically making it harder for a character to see behind that tile, because the tile ‘eats up’ more vision range.

Hope that made sense. If i’m wrong i am sure someone will correct me 🙂