Early city expansion

[Dhaeman]

Ok, I have already played about 2 games of Civ3 and although I usually do decently enough I do have one problem early on in every game I've played in (on regent level) It seems that no matter what I do or how hard I try there are many civilizations that outbuild me in cities 2:1...the game I am in right now I have 5 cities.......the highest computer has 9 or 10 and the lowest computer has 6 or 7. I figure I must be doing something ridiculously stupid but I just have no idea what. Anyway I was wondering if anyone could lend out some advice on helping to remedy this problem and getting myself even par with city settlement with the rest of the AI.

[David Floyd]

Yeah. Simple. Expand expand expand. Build nothing except the occasional temple, and minimal defensive units, and no workers in the beginning, other than those things just crank out settlers until you take up all available land. If it isn't even good land, build anyway, because in the beginning any amount of resources help and most map squares, even "bad" ones, are within range of a luxury or strategic resource at some point in the game (ie you see a flood plain with no redeeming value...well it might have saltpeter later, furthermore that might be your only saltpeter square, so you better take it). And obviously more cities gives you more culture, which is also important, plus expanded borders.

[Dhaeman]

Problem

It still seems like the computer expands faster than me....I am right now building settlers literally as fast and I have it time so that as soon as a city hits 3 people a settler will be created but yet the computer still builds his cities faster than I do...is this maybe just due to starting positions or are there any other tips available?