Path

A Path is a free, instant terrain connection that forms the backbone of travel and district reach in Timberborn. Paths must connect constructions to a District Center for the population to use those constructions; unconnected buildings display warning icons and alerts. Paths can be placed on any solid surface, including solid structures and underwater, and a single drag can draw them in an L-shape. Building paths requires no builders and no materials.

Beavers traveling to tasks first travel to the closest path segment, even if that segment leads them on a longer overall route. Farmers and gatherers ignore that rule and choose the shortest route between their destination and their building entrance. Stairs, Spiral Stairs, Suspension Bridges, and Slopes automatically act as paths. Platform and other solid buildings do not automatically become part of the path network but can have paths built on them separately. Ziplines and the Tubeway System are not paths themselves but they extend the path network.

Paths extend the effective boundaries of a District Center, allowing construction and enabling access to rubble and resources. Resources can be marked for demolition up to 10 blocks from a path. Because paths are free and instantaneous to place and remove, you can temporarily prevent beavers from using a route by demolishing a segment and rebuilding it when needed. Constructing a Gate is another way to automate access control for paths.

• Paths are free, instant, and require no builders or materials.
• They must connect to a District Center for constructions to be usable by the population.
• Builders go to the nearest path segment; farmers and gatherers take the shortest route to their building entrance.
• Stairs, Spiral Stairs, Suspension Bridges, and Slopes count as paths automatically; Platforms require separate path placement.
• Ziplines and Tubeway System extend the path network but are not classified as paths.
• Paths extend District Center boundaries and allow marking demolition of resources up to 10 blocks away.
• Temporary route control is possible by demolishing path segments (free/instant) or by using a Gate.

The flavor text for Path references John Denver’s song "Take Me Home, Country Roads." The feature has evolved through development: paths were introduced as wooden structures in Open Alpha, became non-wooden in Closed Beta, were made free and instant at Early Access launch (with underwater placement added), Update 4 added display of distance to the District Center, and a later change allowed drawing L-shaped segments in one drag.