Escorting settlers

[Arrian]

I almost always escort my settlers. Sometimes, however, if I have a bunch of exploring warriors and the terrain works out just so, I will forgo the escorts. Cities get garrisoned asap, though. That's for happiness as much as anything else.

Escorts are primarily warriors, at least in the beginning, but I will use spearmen toward the end of ReX. I want the outlying cities to have spearmen because they are most likely to come under attack.

-Arrian

[bbaws]

Early, early in the game I don't but after 3 or 4 cities I always do. Even if it means leaving a city briefly undefended. The most a barb can do is kill one pop or ruin some production (spend, spend, spend the gold), settlers are two pops and thirty shields, plus i have never yet been able to pop rush a spearman, at need, in a settler.

[jdd2007]

i dont, but i should.

[TheStinger]

I can't be bothered

[georges bonbon]

Escorting settlers should be in function of barbarian activity?

Maybe also in function of the difficulty level?