the path vs preset paths

[Rosch]

As much as I want to use the "path", it takes a lot of custom design slots. So I use the in-game paths. I just wish they give us diagonal options.

 

[Squeaky]

I like The Path a lot, cuz I'm pretty nostalgic for the older games, but this is my biggest gripe with it -

– (my opinion) they don't look good when in a straight line, prefer them when curvy

It really looks terrible in a straight line, so you need to have a lot of space to make an uneven path, and it makes transitioning from developed to rural areas kind of hard.

 

[JellyBeans]

I use The Path in certain areas of my island, although I've found it looks a lot better when it's curvy and not in a straight line so some sections of my island I'd rather have a different path (but I don't have enough design slots for that). in more built up areas of my island I have regular preset paths and I really like them! the only difficulty I've found using the two different paths is trying to switch between the two, although for the most part I separate them when I reach a bridge so it's fairly easy

 

[Barney]

I switched to 'the path' after months of trying to avoid it, but it was inevitable, really.

My island is quite rustic looking, so it fits the look I'm going for so much more than the standard paths.

 

[Bilaz]

even the nicest custom paths remain low resolution, just by the game’s design, and the sounds sound to me like the muffled sound of bare feet on very hard ground, which sounds vaguely painful and makes me cringe. Therefore I only use default paths

 

[UglyMonsterFace]

I love the path but everybody has it. I don't use other people's designs anyway but if I did, that would be a reason why I wouldn't use it. For now I just use the in game paths, and eventually I'lll make my own and switch over to those

 

[eseamir]

when I first started I tried to use the in game paths because it would've saved design spots but after literally like two days of having them the fact that they only have 90 degree angles and you can't make diagonal paths look normal at all drove me Nuts and I switched over basically exclusively to a mixture of the Path and a three design slot cobblestone path and I'm 100x happier with how my island looks, I can't imagine trying to switch back at this point. I play almost exclusively with my sound off or very turned down so the sound thing doesn't really bother me at all

as others have said, it can be a little annoying to accidentally erase a spot when you're trying to pick up an object but you can save the time and energy of putting on your construction hat just to replace one tile by going into your custom design app and selecting the path piece you need and then choosing the option "display on ground" to place it again

 

[a potato]

I like the Path™ for the aesthetic, but I use a different version of it. The one thing I don’t like, though, is that long stretches of it look really off to me. The curved edges make it seem sloppy to me. I always try to add some variation into it, and that helps a little bit. The other thing I don’t like is how custom paths aren’t really treated like paths in terms of villager AI and on the map.

 

[Fye]

I use a variant of the path (it has little white dots and mushrooms on it, and has both a light and dark version), but only in my forrest area which probably makes about a fifth of my island or less. I may get rid of it some day since it takes 9 or 10 custom design slots for a relatively small part of my island. I also kind of miss the realistic sounds and visual effects like the mud flying off your shoes when you run on a default dirt path in the rain, and most of all I just don't like how straight the default paths look. The curves are nice but overall they look very cookie cutter and I hope they make them look more natural in the future

 

[elphieluvr]

I can't decide if I consider the lack of sound on the path to be a pro or a con, but I will say, it's not as easy to use as some instagram-worthy islands would have you think just by looking at them. I've spent hours on mine and I'm still not fully satisfied with them. Every day when I go to work on a new section I think, maybe I should make do with a standard path.

But yeah if you want a lot of curved paths or a natural look, you just can't achieve that with the standard in-game paths. If you want straight, angular, or grid-like layouts, the path is not a great choice.