Early game order, tips, and priorities

[Elowan]

I agree with DK36 - one of my best cities is in a Flood Plain. True - I had Disease! msgs at first - but the city grew so rapidly that no one noticed any population hit.

[cassembler]

Small to Huge map, Regent level: things I ALWAYS do.

1) Build a capital. I will ONLY move my first settler to a better spot if it's the difference between coastal city.
Queue: warrior, settler, warrior (hoplite if Greeks). This queue will have to be adjusted according to food/ production of the capital.
(Tip: ALWAYS move your worker unit first for the exploration purpose.)

2) Start building a road to where the next city spot is. I know you can't see it yet, but take a guess...

3) Explore with the warrior. Don't worry about defense yet- I've NEVER (even on a small map) been attacked before I can build a unit after the settler.

4) Once the settler is complete, travel him along the road to his new home. Keep doing this- but make sure after the second city is finished to beef up the defense- until expantion is not a priority.

5) I've never found colonies to be useful, with very few exceptions. My workers don't build anything except roads between cities until my basic empire cannot be expanded any more. Bulding roads to the next city spot BEFORE the settler is finished is a HUGE boon, saving several turns for each city.

[vmxa1]

One case where you would build a colony is when a strategic resource is outside you city. Need saltpette to make the upgrade for musketmen, better build the colony and a road.