Spoilers! Time For A Change. ( superdeath spoilers )

[Gavagai]

So, you assume that Ivory zone is a genuinely contested spot and want to settle our third city there which should happen before T50. What will you do if our northern neigbor show up with two chariots on, say T55? Do you think we can possibly have a spear on that spot by T55?
This also answers your implicit question of what we do if someone is foolish enough to settle this spot early. And, more generally, explains one of the reasons why it is advisable to settle your first ring of cities first.
(Another one is a huge waste of worker turns. You need to move your workers to a spot where they cannot be easily swapped to an alternative task. Also, you either waste turns on building a long road or you don't build a road which is simply terrible.)

[Gavagai]

In respect to ratio - I usually build workers as long as I expect to have tasks for them, then stop. In an ideal scenario, you need to have no unimproved tiles worked, no improved tiles unworked and no cities not connected to a road network. There is no easy rule on how many workers you need to achieve it. Two workers per city is a usual rule of thumb for early game but you can get away with less if you micro accurately. And, well, don't settle cities miles away from your capital.

[superdeath]

Not third city, just 4th, or 5th. 2nd city as corn, 3rd as sheep. then either Stone, or the ivory if we have the units? But from your arguments, i have been pursuaded to hold off on that area. Thanks for the tips!

[superdeath]

Havent "met" any neighbors quite yet, although we have of course found Elkad. Good news? Bad news? Cant tell yet. Im hopeful that we can get a nice quick start, and snowball into PHI/mids.. I might have the warrior that pops after the worker move east to see whats over there.






Not a terrible city plant west of the oasis over there, Wet Corn + Crab. Although, we could put the city south of that corn and get more green tiles to work cottages or something else, along with those hills..

[superdeath]

I bet Charriu put our copper sw-sw of the capital. That would screw with my micro plans

[superdeath]

Working out how we will explode into the runaway player. It involves worker/bw- Settler/chopped- warrior-settler. Followed by some pottery, to sculpt statues showing our greatness.. and possibly a big mound of rocks we will call the mid's.

[Charriu]

I bet Charriu put our copper sw-sw of the capital. That would screw with my micro plans

Of course. That was my plan from the very beginning.

[superdeath]

I bet Charriu put our copper sw-sw of the capital. That would screw with my micro plans

Of course. That was my plan from the very beginning.

All because of a couple border cities! I knew it!

[Charriu]

Nah I'm just messing with you.

[superdeath]

Nah I'm just messing with you.

 




Also, i have just met a JR4 scout.  Great. Cannot be more amused to have him as a neighbor! In better news, the silver+ marble i have found has an ivory, AND a bad deer for food. Might go south to see if any more food for this resource heavy area. If he came from the east somewhere, i want to find him. But it will likely have to wait till we have our 3rd city down... and then barbs will start attacking. Sigh.