Turn 10 has been received but I won't be able to play until tonight sometime. This gives us an opportunity to discuss whether the hut should be popped or left until later. In a no-AI game, unless we're ridiculously close to the other team(s) there is not so much pressure to pop a hut right away, and run the risk of getting barbs.

If we do pop it and get barbs, what should we do? Switch the settler (wasting shields), finish settler and go in the opposite direction, finish and wait for an escort?

I say dont pop it. It is in all likelihood barbs, and even if it gives a tech we wont get anything particularly useful until some trading has been done. If it is a settler naturally that would be huge, but switching off the settler build, and then popping barbs would eliminate being able to get the settler to the 2nd site easily, whether the next site is N-N-NW or N-N-NW-NW. Could slow the economy down a bit.

If it is a settler naturally that would be huge

It can't be a settler if we pop it now because: (Quoting from War Academy article by Oystein on goody huts (http://www.civfanatics.com/civ3/strategy/goodyhuts.php))

Settler:
-- Player must not have a settler (active or in production) or any unit with the Settle AI strategy.
-- Player must have less cities than (TotalCities / NumActivePlayers).

I hope that no one has a second city yet, our 1 city is not less then TotalCities/NumActivePlayers 4/4=1. In order to get a settler we would need to wait to pop the hut.

aren't we expantionist so we wont get barbs

I noted switching off the settler build. We are even in terms of cities I would assume, and you can get a settler in that instance. This is why you can get a 3950 BC settler on chieftain. We are not expansionist (Agr/Com).

oops sorry about that

No worries, the trait changes from PTW are confusing.

According to the MP "scores", MIA grew one turn earlier and there are no 2nd cities.

lets wait to pop that hut......too risky

lets wait to pop that hut......too risky

I concur with magnusmarcus