Pioneer can no longer build roads?

AFAIK that ability was removed, the roads now appear automagically after you research a certain tech, Trading, if I recall correctly. The patterns of the roads are sometimes quite bizarre.

Mancers can still build roads.

If you make a custom sovereign as capitar (Mancer race) their pioneers build roads from the start.

Also if you want to build roads with any of the other factions you need to make a champion / sovereign path of the governor and pick the appropriate level up trait.

The reason to build roads is units follow roads but, roads aren't always the quickness or most direct path! This is a major issue when you trying to move troops to a needed area and time is an issue.

Please bring back road building!

I'd lilke to see road-building brought back also.

If you make a champion with the path of goverener they can get the trait called road building and would be able to build roads. Also, if you want it's a pretty easy change to the game to mod road building for each of the races.