Villagers not following paths properly. Are they meant to?

[ExoticButts]

So in all my playtime I've never once decided to build a Waymaker Shack, until today. Built it, ok, good, fine. Assigned villagers like any other structure. Told them to make Log Paths in certain spots that, whilst not super efficient for pathfinding, look nice.

The problem becomes that none of my villagers are following my nice paths and keep cutting across the (in this case) sand. I'm tempted to dismantle the Waymaker Shack since I have a very large water source and if villagers aren't gonna follow my paths, there's no point to having it on my map.

Does anybody know if villagers are meant to follow paths, and if so, why mine might not be?

Ninja edit: Yes, I've been dismantling the old paths when I make the new ones, so it's definitely not that.

[Rayvolution]

They follow the fastest routes (calculated by travel time, not distance), they don't care about your roads unless your roads increase the travel time enough that going a technically longer distance is still faster overall. Good example is like taking a highway around a city, rather than city roads straight through it. Highway might be a longer distance, but the overall travel time is lower because you can drive 3 times faster.

But, if your highway makes no logical sense and driving through the city is still faster, they'll ignore the highway.

So, basically your roads aren't being placed in ideal places. :)

[ExoticButts]

Originally posted by Rayvolution:

They follow the fastest routes (calculated by travel time, not distance), they don't care about your roads unless your roads increase the travel time enough that going a technically longer distance is still faster overall. Good example is like taking a highway around a city, rather than city roads straight through it. Highway might be a longer distance, but the overall travel time is lower because you can drive 3 times faster.

But, if your highway makes no logical sense and driving through the city is still faster, they'll ignore the highway.

So, basically your roads aren't being placed in ideal places. :)

I see. Unfortunately my fastest routes are diagonals, and the paths don't connect on diagonals from what I've found (both "normal" and Log paths, at least). I'm not a fan of the polkadot path style so I'll just have to dismantle my Waymaker Shack.

Ty for the help Ray :D

[Rayvolution]

Originally posted by ExoticButts:

Originally posted by Rayvolution:

They follow the fastest routes (calculated by travel time, not distance), they don't care about your roads unless your roads increase the travel time enough that going a technically longer distance is still faster overall. Good example is like taking a highway around a city, rather than city roads straight through it. Highway might be a longer distance, but the overall travel time is lower because you can drive 3 times faster.

But, if your highway makes no logical sense and driving through the city is still faster, they'll ignore the highway.

So, basically your roads aren't being placed in ideal places. :)

I see. Unfortunately my fastest routes are diagonals, and the paths don't connect on diagonals from what I've found (both "normal" and Log paths, at least). I'm not a fan of the polkadot path style so I'll just have to dismantle my Waymaker Shack.

Ty for the help Ray :D

Code wise, they actually do connect on the diagonals, there's just no graphics for it yet. :)

In those cases, I make "Zig Zag" roads like this, where the "X" is a road tile, that way the at least look connected.

X X 0 0 0 0
0 X X 0 0 0 
0 0 X X 0 0 
0 0 0 X X 0
0 0 0 0 X X

[ExoticButts]

Originally posted by Rayvolution:

Originally posted by ExoticButts:

I see. Unfortunately my fastest routes are diagonals, and the paths don't connect on diagonals from what I've found (both "normal" and Log paths, at least). I'm not a fan of the polkadot path style so I'll just have to dismantle my Waymaker Shack.

Ty for the help Ray :D

Code wise, they actually do connect on the diagonals, there's just no graphics for it yet. :)

In those cases, I make "Zig Zag" roads like this, where the "X" is a road tile, that way the at least look connected.

XX0000
0XX000
00XX00
000XX0
0000XX

Might try that, thanks for the recommendation :)

[Stevepunk]

Originally posted by ExoticButts:

Log Paths in certain spots that, whilst not super efficient for pathfinding, look nice.

Originally posted by ExoticButts:

none of my villagers are following my nice paths

Obviously your villagers will follow the fastest route, not the prettiest.

[ExoticButts]

Originally posted by ⎛⎝Stevepunk⎠⎞:

Originally posted by ExoticButts:

Log Paths in certain spots that, whilst not super efficient for pathfinding, look nice.

Originally posted by ExoticButts:

none of my villagers are following my nice paths

Obviously your villagers will follow the fastest route, not the prettiest.

Well I know that now, Ray explained it above :) I just wasn't sure if they were coded to follow any path above "normal" path level regardless of distance/time.

[Stevepunk]

Originally posted by Rayvolution:

Code wise, they actually do connect on the diagonals, there's just no graphics for it yet. :)]

Good to know, I was building stepped paths just in case but I will be more efficient in future :)

[Tiberiumkyle]

Getting fast path network setup early pays off in the long run, as things get done a bit faster. Even in Nightmare and beyond, I tend to get waymaker shack up within the first 3-5 days.