Hey there! Thanks for finding this bug, it ended up being the source of a number of small bugs on my to-do list (like items only sometimes staying equipped when you go into the crafting), so it was actually a huge help! I've fixed the bugs and they'll be working in the next update. Unfortunately, you'll have to avoid picking up fridges (and forges?) for the time being :(
I'll try some things to make projectiles appear behind trees, and if it doesn't affect performance I'll keep it in. The current solution where only the player and enemies behind trees make the trees go translucent was a mid-way solution keeping performance in mind, but I never actually tested with projectiles as well.
As for the melee vs projectile discussion, I agree with your sentiment. I think the problem is that melee weapons don't push the player back when they hit an enemy, which means that you'll continue moving towards an enemy even when you hit them (i.e. knockback is only applied to the enemy but not to the player, creating an awkward feeling "collision"). I think if I fix this so that the player is knocked back as well, melee weapons will feel a lot safer to use.
Thanks again for all your feedback. It helps a ton!
- Dpodz