In brief, Survival should give a per-point bonus to healing received from food/potions etc. Basically like the 40pt perk in Vitality.
In long, Survival should be the “recovery” stat. The rest all focus on ways to handle a threat. Strength kills it. Agility avoids it. Vitality out lasts it. Accuracy kills it from far away. Grit out runs it. Encumberance carries it away(another kind of weak stat, but very useful) and Survival… eats less often?
Eating is a challenge so easily overcome that the trouble happens when you forget about it. Through all my time playing, since the beginning of early access, I’ve had no issue keeping that hunger meter full. I eat more for the healing anyway. Much harder to keep that life bar topped off.
Move some perks around to fit Survival more into a “recovery” spot. Take the harvesting one and give that to Encumberance. Maybe something like “Scarred” that gives a temp damage reduction buff after healing. Something to reduce duration on status effects like cripple and sunder. Resistance to bleeds and poisons, etc. The stat itself should have a strong benefit, while perks add interesting gameplay changes.
Other notes: Strength should add flat damage instead of a percent. So a stone weapon in a strong character’s hands can do more than iron in a weak characters hands.
Bows should work like tools instead of split weapons. Basic bow does (arrow damage{AD}) x 1, next tier does (AD) x 2, etc etc. Rebalance arrows accordingly, including crafting cost. Ideally you shouldn’t carry hundreds of arrows, but only a few dozen. Make them count.
Accuracy should help in melee, as Strength should help in range (harder throws, stronger bows) Maybe increase effectiveness of weapon effects? More bleed stacks, cripple stacks, etc?
A lunging/sprint attack. High risk and reward. Something different for each weapon.
Dodge combo! Give everyone the little hop, and add a counter attack option after it. Light and medium armor can do a full roll after the hop.