Pause: I paused my game, but when I started it again my villagers were all in different places. Why did that happen?

The game does not store the location or current activity of villagers in the savegame file, but rather determines their starting positions when you launch the game (or switch game slots). That's why you see them in different places than when you left them, even though the game is paused. When you select a different game speed, the villagers will initiate an activity based on their preference setting and current skill levels.