diff --git a/src/main/java/backsun/lod/util/CustomRenderer.java b/src/main/java/backsun/lod/util/CustomRenderer.java
index f3ee8608a..707f7a6a4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/backsun/lod/util/CustomRenderer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/backsun/lod/util/CustomRenderer.java
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package backsun.lod.util;
 import java.awt.Color;
 
 import org.lwjgl.opengl.GL11;
-import org.lwjgl.opengl.GLContext;
 import org.lwjgl.util.glu.Project;
 
 import net.minecraft.client.Minecraft;
@@ -27,6 +26,9 @@ public class CustomRenderer
 	private Tessellator tessellator;
 	private BufferBuilder worldRenderer;
 	
+	// make sure this is an even number, or else it won't align with the chunk grid
+	public final int viewDistanceMultiplier = 12;
+	
 	/**
 	 * constructor
 	 */
@@ -54,7 +56,7 @@ public class CustomRenderer
 		GlStateManager.matrixMode(GL11.GL_PROJECTION);
 		GlStateManager.loadIdentity();
 		// farPlaneDistance // 10 chunks = 160
-		Project.gluPerspective(fov, (float) this.mc.displayWidth / (float) this.mc.displayHeight, 0.0125f, farPlaneDistance * 12.0f);
+		Project.gluPerspective(fov, (float) this.mc.displayWidth / (float) this.mc.displayHeight, 0.0125f, farPlaneDistance * viewDistanceMultiplier);
 	}
 	
 	/**
@@ -66,9 +68,7 @@ public class CustomRenderer
 	{
 		farPlaneDistance = this.mc.gameSettings.renderDistanceChunks * 16;
 		
-		// TODO add fog
-		//setupFog();
-		GlStateManager.disableFog();
+		setupFog();
 		
 		// set the new model view matrix
 		setProjectionMatrix(partialTicks);
@@ -92,41 +92,54 @@ public class CustomRenderer
 		double y = entity.lastTickPosY + (entity.posY - entity.lastTickPosY) * partialTicks;
 		double z = entity.lastTickPosZ + (entity.posZ - entity.lastTickPosZ) * partialTicks;
 		
+		int playerXChunkOffset = ((int) x / 16) * 16;
+		int playerZChunkOffset = ((int) z / 16) * 16;
+		
 		Color grass = new Color(80, 104, 50, 255);
-		Color black = Color.BLACK;
-		Color white = Color.WHITE;
+		Color black = grass;//Color.BLACK;
+		Color white = grass;//Color.WHITE;
 		
 		// set how big the squares will be and how far they will go
-		int totalLength = (int) farPlaneDistance * 9;
-		int singleLength = 160;
-		int numbOfBoxesWide = totalLength / singleLength;
+		int totalLength = (int) farPlaneDistance * viewDistanceMultiplier;
+		int squareSideLength = 16;
+		int numbOfBoxesWide = totalLength / squareSideLength;
 		
 		// size of a single square
-		int bbx = singleLength;
+		int bbx = squareSideLength;
 		int bby = 0;
-		int bbz = singleLength;
+		int bbz = squareSideLength;
 		
 		// this where we will start drawing squares
-		int startXZ = -singleLength * numbOfBoxesWide;
-		
+		// (exactly half the total width)
+		int startX = (-squareSideLength * (numbOfBoxesWide / 2)) + playerXChunkOffset;
+		int startZ = (-squareSideLength * (numbOfBoxesWide / 2)) + playerZChunkOffset;
 		
 		AxisAlignedBB bb;
 		
 		// this is used to alternate the colors of the drawn squares
 		boolean alternateColor = false;
+		boolean evenWidth = false;
+		if (numbOfBoxesWide % 2 == 0)
+			evenWidth = true;
+		
 		// x axis
 		for (int i = 0; i < numbOfBoxesWide; i++)
 		{
+			if (evenWidth)
+				alternateColor = !alternateColor;
+				
 			// z axis
 			for (int j = 0; j < numbOfBoxesWide; j++)
 			{
 				// update where this square will be drawn
-				double xoffset = -x + (singleLength * i * 2) + startXZ;
+				double xoffset = -x + (squareSideLength * i) + startX;
 				double yoffset = -y;
-				double zoffset = -z + (singleLength * j * 2) + startXZ;
+				double zoffset = -z + (squareSideLength * j) + startZ;
+				
+				
 				
 				// create a new bounding box to store our points
-				bb = new AxisAlignedBB(bbx, bby, bbz, -bbx, bby, -bbz).offset(xoffset, yoffset, zoffset);
+				bb = new AxisAlignedBB(bbx, bby, bbz, 0, bby, 0).offset(xoffset, yoffset, zoffset);
 				
 				// draw the squares as a black and white checker board
 				Color c;
@@ -134,6 +147,9 @@ public class CustomRenderer
 					c = white;
 				else
 					c = black;
+				// draw the first square as green
+				if (i == 0 && j == 0)
+					c = grass;
 				alternateColor = !alternateColor;
 				
 				// draw the square
@@ -168,10 +184,13 @@ public class CustomRenderer
 	private void drawBox(AxisAlignedBB bb, int red, int green, int blue, int alpha)
 	{
 		worldRenderer.begin(GL11.GL_QUADS, DefaultVertexFormats.POSITION_COLOR);
+		
 		worldRenderer.pos(bb.minX, bb.minY, bb.minZ).color(red, green, blue, alpha).endVertex();
 		worldRenderer.pos(bb.maxX, bb.minY, bb.minZ).color(red, green, blue, alpha).endVertex();
 		worldRenderer.pos(bb.maxX, bb.minY, bb.maxZ).color(red, green, blue, alpha).endVertex();
 		worldRenderer.pos(bb.minX, bb.minY, bb.maxZ).color(red, green, blue, alpha).endVertex();
+		
+		// only draw the other 5 sides if there is some thickness to this box
 		if (bb.minY != bb.maxY)
 		{
 			
@@ -202,37 +221,18 @@ public class CustomRenderer
 		}
 		
 		tessellator.draw();
-		//TODO are these needed?
-		//	worldRenderer.finishDrawing();
-		//	worldRenderer.reset();
 	}
     
     
 	/**
-	 * Sets up the fog to be rendered. If the argument passed in is -1 the fog starts at 0 and goes to 80% of far plane
-	 * distance and is used for sky rendering.
+	 * Sets up and enables the fog to be rendered.
 	 */
 	private void setupFog()
 	{
-		GlStateManager.glNormal3f(0.0F, -1.0F, 0.0F);
-		GlStateManager.color(1.0F, 1.0F, 1.0F, 1.0F);
-		
-		
-		float f = this.farPlaneDistance * 15.0f; //15 linear
-		GlStateManager.setFog(GlStateManager.FogMode.LINEAR);
-		
-		GlStateManager.setFogDensity(0.0f);
-		GlStateManager.setFogStart(f * 0.7F); // 0.7
+		float f = this.farPlaneDistance * (viewDistanceMultiplier * 0.5f);
+		GlStateManager.setFogDensity(0.1f);
+		GlStateManager.setFogStart(farPlaneDistance * (viewDistanceMultiplier * 0.25f));
 		GlStateManager.setFogEnd(f);
-		
-		if (GLContext.getCapabilities().GL_NV_fog_distance)
-		{
-			GlStateManager.glFogi(34138, 34139);
-		}
-		
-		
-		GlStateManager.enableColorMaterial();
 		GlStateManager.enableFog();
-		GlStateManager.colorMaterial(1028, 4608);
 	}
 }
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