despite all the work put into paths, id much rather have them than not have them. they give my town more of an accent and they look amazing when outlined with bushes/bamboo/trees, it's always definitely worth it in the end. i remember how vague and boring my town looked before i had paths - now that i got half my town covered in them, it looks so much better. of course, its best not to overdo it or slack off on the paths, but i highly recommend adding them to your town if you havent already