Patch 2.0 – Major Optimization Update

Chinese Frontiers – Patch 2.0: Major Optimization Update is Live!

Hello Builders,

Today we’re excited — and relieved — to finally bring you Patch 2.0. It’s our first major update in many months, and we want to start by thanking you for your patience and support during this long stretch of silence. Over the past months, we’ve been working behind the scenes on deep structural improvements to ensure Chinese Frontiers can continue to grow in the long term.

This update has been one of the most technically demanding milestones in the project’s history, and we’re proud to finally share it with you.

What’s New in Patch 2.0

Patch 2.0 is a complete technical overhaul focused on performance, stability, and preparing the game for the future. Here’s what you can expect:

• Significant FPS improvements across all biomes and gameplay scenarios

• Major optimization work that reduces stuttering and improves overall fluidity

• A re-engineered core codebase to eliminate bottlenecks and improve scalability

• Numerous stability fixes and systems cleaned up, rewritten, or replaced

• Improved foundation for future content and mechanical updates

This patch isn’t just an update — it’s a rebuild of the game’s internal structure to support every update that comes next.

New Save System

One of the biggest changes in Patch 2.0 is the introduction of our new save system, fully redesigned from the ground up.

Save System is:

• More stable and reliable

• Much faster in loading and saving

• Compatible with all future updates, preventing save issues going forward

We had to change many fundamental systems. Patch 2.0 introduces a new save system, but it isn’t compatible with existing Save Files yet — which brings us to the next part.

Future Update 2.1 – Save Converter Coming Soon

YOUR GAME PROGRESS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USAnd because of these deep changes, your old saves can’t be loaded in Patch 2.0. But don’t worry — we’re nearly done with Update 2.1, which will include the Save Converter to migrate old save files into the new system. It’s very close to release, so stay tuned!

But what if you… Want to Keep Playing the Patch 1.021 Version?

For players who prefer to continue their journey on the legacy version of the game, we’ve prepared a dedicated Steam branch:

➡️ “1.021 - Legacy Save System”

To access this branch, it’s available in Steam if you right click on Chinese Frontiers -> Properties -> Betas -> select "1.021 - Legacy Save System" branch in the Beta Participation dropdown. You may need to restart Steam to get it to appear.

This allows you to continue playing your old saves without moving to Patch 2.0.

THANK YOU, BUILDERS!

This patch is only the beginning of a new chapter for Chinese Frontiers. Your feedback, patience, and continued belief in the project kept us going through a very challenging development phase.

We’re back — and we’re committed to delivering updates more frequently from now on. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Full Patch 2.0 Changelog below:

NEW FEATURES AND QUALITY OF LIFE

• TECHNICAL

  • Updated project to Unreal Engine 5.5

  • DirectX 12 is now the default rendering mode (improved GPU performance)

  • Added Frame Limiter, set to 60 FPS by default

• QUALITY OF LIFE

  • Added the ability to check how many materials you still need to finish a building at any point during construction - MOST OF YOU requested this feature, so now tackling the monuments of Chinese Frontiers should be even more fun.

  • Loading a game after Game Over now spawns the player at the nearest Travel Point - no more unnecessary backtracking; you can jump straight back into the action.

  • Improved player controls

  • Traders are now displayed on the Map - find the best deals, trade away, and maybe even haggle like a pro.

  • Refreshed Compass system (with new detection logic for traders and quest givers) - you can now spot them just by wandering around without opening menus. Let yourself be swept into another adventure!

    • Traders and quest givers are now visible on the compass when entering their detection range

• SAVE SYSTEM

  • Complete Save System rework

    • Added Quick Save (F5) - helps you save some time

    • Added save thumbnails (screenshot preview) - now you can spot your save at a glance and avoid that “wait, which one was I at?” moment.

    • Save files now display the game version

    • Fixed loading issues by reading all saves directly from the savegames folder

    • Added Empty Slot placeholder

    • Save names now include: active quest, date, and location

    • Save type now displayed (Autosave, Manual Save, etc.)

    • Saves are now sorted correctly by date (newest first)

UPDATED AND IMPROVED MECHANICS AND SYSTEMS

• GAMEPLAY/BUILDING

  • Polished building placement system - now you can build more freely and let your imagination run wild (your masterpiece awaits!).

    • Increased maximum distance between player and placed building (can now place structures farther from the camera)

    • Buildings now snap to terrain slope - no more wrestling with the map.

    • Buildings can be placed on steeper inclines

    • Building foundations now display along with the object (ghost effect with fading material)

• POIs - POINTS OF INTEREST

  • POIs located on different map levels are now visible on the Map - no more missing hidden spots, even if they’re on the other side of the continent!

  • POI behavior now properly synchronized with Quests

  • Fixed missing POIs in various quests

  • Improved POIs cosmetics

• PERFORMANCE

  • General graphical optimization – smoother visuals and better performance

    • Greatly reduced overall RAM and VRAM usage for improved performance.

    • Improved perfomance of NPCs logic and rendering

    • Adjusted render distance of objects based on proximity; hidden objects out of player view

    • Optimized grass asset (shadows, rendering distance, density)

    • Optimized rendering for background foliage

    • Implemented RVT for landscape materials on the River level for better performance

    • Improved Level Streaming and zone loading logic

    • Optimized shadow performance

    • Converted some static meshes to instances for better performance

  • Trees inside Jun’s garden can now be cut down - except for the special pink trees of course

• UI

  • Reworked HUD. Reduced visual intensity and improved readability - dive fully into the world without distractions.

  • Improved Journal Notes - now shows resources from both your Inventory and Caravan - so you’ll know exactly if you’re ready to tackle any challenge.

  • Improved default keybinds for switching Tabs in menus

  • Added animated gradient backgrounds to HUD elements

• QUESTS

  • Fixed Quest tracking system (POIs)

  • Rebalanced progression and stability across multiple Quests

• PLAYER

  • Reworked player attribute system (Health, Stamina, Nourishment, Thirst)

  • Fixed incorrect attribute values after fainting and loading the game.

• ASSETS & LEVEL DESIGN

  • Reworked building foundations – updated base visuals

  • Improved LODs for multiple assets

    • Updated scaffoldings

• TUTORIALS

  • Tutorials are now coupled with currently tracked Quest

PLAYER REQUESTED FIXES AND FEATURES

• QUESTS

  • Fixed issues blocking progression of Main and Side Quests - now you can fully enjoy the adventure without any interruptions or hiccups.

  • Main Quests:

    • The Cornerstone - quest now completes properly

    • Flames by the Hearth - now correctly registers planting at Mei’s farm

  • Side Quests:

    • Mastering the Flame - fixed broken fishing rod preventing progress

    • The Golden Carp - fixed issues with the Fisherman

    • The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd - fixed issues with actors

    • The Silk Weaver - quest can now be completed

    • Ghosts of the Fallen - quest can now be completed

• VILLAGE MANAGEMENT

  • MAJOR CHANGE: Village management and production costs have been fully rebalanced.

    • the production cost system has been reworked - it’s now possible to build and maintain a self-sufficient village without breaking a sweat.

• NPCs

  • Fixed loading/unloading of animals based on distance

  • Improved NPC navigation and movement

  • Invisible NPCs now properly unload from memory

• BUGs

  • Fixed interaction issues with underwater items

  • Fixed animal interaction problems

  • Fixed lantern duplication after loading saves

  • Fixed loading screen crashes caused by missing player actions

  • Fixed bug where an animal model wouldn’t appear after being picked up

  • Fixed incorrect camera movements during NPC dialogues

  • Fixed compass issues after player death

  • Village Chest Container now always contains resources at the start of a new game

  • Fixed UI issues in the Skill Tree

  • Fixed multiple Map and Compass issues

  • Fixed disappearing tooltip when adding materials to crafting stations

  • Fixed farmland showing “missing materials” despite having them

  • Improved tooltip behavior (no flickering or stacking)

  • Fixed PostProcess effects - Hunger and Thirst indicators now display correctly

  • Improved Inventory handling (split function, “select one item”, input optimization, reduced delays)

• SETTINGS

  • Fixed display mode and resolution switching system

• LANDSCAPE

  • FixedDesert Levelfixed holes in the landscape near the canyon
  • FixedRiver Levelfixed level boundaries causing players to fall out of the map

• GRAPHICS

  • Fixed distance field shadows for vegetation - correct shadow rendering at all distances