New Engine patch 0.16.4: performance, saving, and stability fixes

Direct answer

Fields of Mistria 0.16.4 was a non-content engine patch centered on performance, memory use, saving stability, and crash fixes. The official notes report better frame rates in busy areas such as farms and startup memory use reduced by up to 50%; those are patch-level claims, not a promise for every hardware configuration.

Performance and gameplay fixes

The patch optimized world rendering, improved performance and reduced stuttering on some AMD graphics hardware, and restored the large essence stone’s crafting level. Monsters no longer occasionally double-destroy themselves. The menu’s “Stuck” button now works outside buildings, and players should no longer get stuck in doorways such as those in the carpenter’s house and Terithia’s house.

Visual fixes corrected Vera’s register, Eiland’s opening walk animation, and some shadow rendering. None of these notes establish new item prices, NPC schedules, or progression requirements.

Saving and crash fixes

The official list includes a crash that could occur while saving, birds leaving trees, using a pickaxe after leaving a room, repeatedly casting Growth on trees, going through doorways while holding fish bait, defeating Rock Stacks, and turning on the lights on specific mine floors. These entries are useful when comparing a reproducible old crash report with the version that was installed at the time.

Known issues and current-use note

The page still listed a high-priority UI softlock investigation and an armor-equipping crash under additional logging. If a current player reports either symptom, do not infer that 0.16.4 fixed it universally. Record the current version and platform, check the later 0.16.5 and 1.0.x notes, and preserve a save backup before troubleshooting.

Next step

Use the 0.16.5 and 1.0.x support pages for later-build troubleshooting, and include the platform and exact reproduction when opening a correction report.