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The "Size-5" strategy
Deity Level.
(a-c same as ICS)
a) Build two cities close to each other, on high food production squares.
b) Build a settler in city #1, and a warrior in city #2 for exploring (maybe 1 or 2 more for martial law).
c) Use the city #1 settler to build city #3.
d) Build warriors in city #1 for martial law.
e) meanwhile build a settler in city #2 and another in city #3.
f) as soon as city #1 grows to size 3, add the two settlers to city #1.
g) change all 5 citizens in city #1 to scientists until food is exhausted, then put 4 of the citizens back to work on grassland for one turn (to get at least 1 food reserve in food box). Change the 5th citizen to an entertainer if necessary. Then change them to scientists again.
h) city #1 start to build temple (if not available build barracks then switch to temple when the tech is available).
i) repeat this cycle: continue to build settlers in cities #2 and #3. Use the settler of city #2 to build city #4, then use the settlers of cities #3 and #4 to add to city #2 after it reaches size 3.
With this strategy you'll get Monarchy faster since each size 5 city will produce 18-20 science every two turns (16 when all 5 are scientists, 2-4 when put them back to work). That's 9 sciences per city per turn. Remember a size 2 city usually only has 1 science output per turn (unless on specials). Thus one size 5 city will be equivalent to 9 size 2 cities in science output!
You'll also be able to build wonders faster from size 5 cities, if you choose to do so. Hence it is quite possible that you build HG before your ICS player opponent, thus giving him a hard time.
(a-c same as ICS)
a) Build two cities close to each other, on high food production squares.
b) Build a settler in city #1, and a warrior in city #2 for exploring (maybe 1 or 2 more for martial law).
c) Use the city #1 settler to build city #3.
d) Build warriors in city #1 for martial law.
e) meanwhile build a settler in city #2 and another in city #3.
f) as soon as city #1 grows to size 3, add the two settlers to city #1.
g) change all 5 citizens in city #1 to scientists until food is exhausted, then put 4 of the citizens back to work on grassland for one turn (to get at least 1 food reserve in food box). Change the 5th citizen to an entertainer if necessary. Then change them to scientists again.
h) city #1 start to build temple (if not available build barracks then switch to temple when the tech is available).
i) repeat this cycle: continue to build settlers in cities #2 and #3. Use the settler of city #2 to build city #4, then use the settlers of cities #3 and #4 to add to city #2 after it reaches size 3.
With this strategy you'll get Monarchy faster since each size 5 city will produce 18-20 science every two turns (16 when all 5 are scientists, 2-4 when put them back to work). That's 9 sciences per city per turn. Remember a size 2 city usually only has 1 science output per turn (unless on specials). Thus one size 5 city will be equivalent to 9 size 2 cities in science output!
You'll also be able to build wonders faster from size 5 cities, if you choose to do so. Hence it is quite possible that you build HG before your ICS player opponent, thus giving him a hard time.
But that might change and I'll remember this gem.
I hope to land on AC before 1000 AD. The only down side is that micromanaging is very time-consuming.
Wouldn't changing 4 of the 5 scientists back to working food squares on alternate turns - once the food storage is exhausted - by and large remove the benefits of the strategy? Or is it that the brilliance of this scheme is totally above my head? Could be... 
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