One of Valheim's recent updates included a new terrain modification system that fixed several issues the game sometimes ran into when loading terrain chunks into the world. This has resulted in more stable environments that pose less risk to player-created structures like buildings and ships, hopefully keeping things in working order until further Valheim updates to come.
Valheim's 0.150.3 update alters the way the game loads its terrain on a fundamental level, but brought with it some miscellaneous improvements as well, such as fixing sound effects with the Lox pet, preventing torches from supporting buildings, and other small quality of life improvements. Further fixes were subsequently added in 0.153.2, though nothing quite so major as the terrain overhaul.
The new terrain system will activate when a player uses a pickaxe, hoe, or cultivator after the update has been applied to the game. For old terrain modifications in an area, the Valheim Steam patch notes detail a new console command called 'optterrain'. Console commands must be enabled (which can be done by adding '-console' to the game's launch argument), and using the command will update old terrain modifications to the new system. However, players should exercise caution when using doing this, as it can sometimes have the unintended effect of damaging or warping existing buildings.
Valheim's April Update Solves Loading Issues
Valheim's new terrain modification system is now a bit more efficient, but it also solves a major glitch that has been plaguing Vikings for some time. It was occasionally possible that ships and buildings could sustain heavy damage when they loaded into the game world. The new system has reordered the loading of assets, causing terrain to load before buildings and ships do, and this will hopefully prevent some of those unfortunate bugs going forward. The update also reinforces the safety of various Valheim constructs as they load into the world, all around acting as a safeguard to the integrity of structures players have worked so hard to build.
Overall, the patch seems to be a marked improvement. While many players are still aching for more substantive updates, Valheim's recent roadmap promises future content across several biomes throughout 2021, though it is likely that many smaller updates will deal specifically with technical additions and optimizations rather than additional content while the game is in early access. For early access games especially, optimizing the product's playable state often takes priority over major content infusions, helping prevent bugs from developing (or having existing glitches worsen).
Source: Steam