I've been thinking about the horizon issue, and I've submitted a feature request to extend the void water (that water that's put in beyond the edge of a sim) farther. If you want to vote, it's at:

http://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-2744

Will anything come of it? Maybe not, but at least I can try (and the last feature suggestion I made got incorporated). However blah the night sky, Linden trees, and terrain look, there's nothing enormously wrong with them. They've got flaws, but the main problem -- for me, anyway -- is that there just isn't much that's actively good about them. They're passable (except for maybe the trees), but that's all. The horizon, though, has big gaping holes in it, and however ridiculously the trees sway or the terrain curves, at least they're in one piece. I'd love it if we got a prettier night sky, but I'd love it even more if my suspension of disbelief didn't get a kick in the butt every time I turn my draw distance above 96.

In other news, I've been starting to make sculpted rocks for my sim. Even I can do that! Oh, and I have the basic script for the game written. Yay.