There's been a lot of complaints about the new stamina mechanic, but if you didn't play before you won't know. I've played both versions and got used to the new system.
About stamina not stacking up as you progress, it can seem frustrating. But the game offers a lot of cheap food that'll give you enough stamina to do stuff like wood farming or exploring.
For fighting, you'll need more advanced cooking but the ingredients will get more abundant as you progress
And as was said earlier, your skill progression will reduce stamina usage for most actions