Vector networks are interesting, but I've always found their addition into Figma to be an solution that was implemented by engineers to scratch their own fancy rather than to be used practically in the real world.
Vector networks would conceivably allow you to draw with vectors in a way that is laborious in other tools like Illustrator/Affinity because of the two-connected node limitation; allowing you to create a drawing of something like a wheel with 8 spokes that is just a single path rather than 8 paths that are layered on top of each other in other tools. Vector networks feel like the correct way to draw an object rather than the hack that designers have been relying on since the inception of vector-based art because of this limitation.
The problem is that well, vector-networks, in conjunction with the standard pen tool, are not enough to actually be useful for drawing. Figma doesn't have any newer path-drawing functionality like a curvature or 'smart-mode' pen tool which draws curves that are fully continuous and pleasant looking. These newer tools are a cornerstone of creating elegant looking shapes in modern vector design programs, but Figma just has the 25-year old pen tool. Figma also doesn't have other tools that are necessary for drawing—reflect, an isometric mode, path smoothing, blending, repeating, etc.
It's a strange positioning because vector networks are basically only useful for drawing (like drawing an object like a car, or a scene, or something). I have never used them once for UI design, which is generally based on rectangles where a vector-network isn't needed. And they would make drawing so much better, as the linked post describes. But without any additional helper tools, you just can't create drawings of any complexity on their own; so they end up not being used. Figma could be the best vector drawing tool because of everything else that makes Figma so great—it's wonderful UI, snappiness, great color handling, etc. I want Figma to be able to replace illustrator for me so damn bad. And they are so close. But they have chosen to not focus on drawing at all; so they have this amazing vector-network thing that they're always bragging about—but I doubt anyone's really using it for anything, since it is useless for drawing just by itself.
The real goldmine for artists who create vector based art would be if a tool that is actually built for drawing—like illustrator—decided to add vector-networks as a core part of their offering. I mean, at the end of the day, a vector-network is basically a bunch of paths that have a node with a shared coordinate. Doesn't seem like it would be that hard to implement, but Adobe innovates on Illustrator at snail-like speed.
One problem that vector networks have is that you cannot set the node type (like "continous" or "corner"), because this would require information to which of the multiple curves that enter/leave a node that type should be applied to. That is probably the reason why, unlike in other vector editors, you cannot select the "node type" in Figma. This is a huge drawback and IMO offsets the minor benefit that vector networks provide.
Vector networks would conceivably allow you to draw with vectors in a way that is laborious in other tools like Illustrator/Affinity because of the two-connected node limitation; allowing you to create a drawing of something like a wheel with 8 spokes that is just a single path rather than 8 paths that are layered on top of each other in other tools. Vector networks feel like the correct way to draw an object rather than the hack that designers have been relying on since the inception of vector-based art because of this limitation.
The problem is that well, vector-networks, in conjunction with the standard pen tool, are not enough to actually be useful for drawing. Figma doesn't have any newer path-drawing functionality like a curvature or 'smart-mode' pen tool which draws curves that are fully continuous and pleasant looking. These newer tools are a cornerstone of creating elegant looking shapes in modern vector design programs, but Figma just has the 25-year old pen tool. Figma also doesn't have other tools that are necessary for drawing—reflect, an isometric mode, path smoothing, blending, repeating, etc.
It's a strange positioning because vector networks are basically only useful for drawing (like drawing an object like a car, or a scene, or something). I have never used them once for UI design, which is generally based on rectangles where a vector-network isn't needed. And they would make drawing so much better, as the linked post describes. But without any additional helper tools, you just can't create drawings of any complexity on their own; so they end up not being used. Figma could be the best vector drawing tool because of everything else that makes Figma so great—it's wonderful UI, snappiness, great color handling, etc. I want Figma to be able to replace illustrator for me so damn bad. And they are so close. But they have chosen to not focus on drawing at all; so they have this amazing vector-network thing that they're always bragging about—but I doubt anyone's really using it for anything, since it is useless for drawing just by itself.
The real goldmine for artists who create vector based art would be if a tool that is actually built for drawing—like illustrator—decided to add vector-networks as a core part of their offering. I mean, at the end of the day, a vector-network is basically a bunch of paths that have a node with a shared coordinate. Doesn't seem like it would be that hard to implement, but Adobe innovates on Illustrator at snail-like speed.