Hi all. I've just started an emperor game with Boudica and am in a bit of a dilemma regarding how to settle my western lands. Here's a look at my initial dotmap:

http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q452/Tasos_Bougas/boudicadotmap1.jpg?t=1218351815

I've just researched BW and the copper revealed on that SW tip has sort of made my initial plans a bit more complicated. Originally I was going to settle two cities, one 2S of the stone and one 2N 1E of the gold on the coast. But I'm wondering now if it's worth (or possible) to include that western copper in a BFC somehow. It just seems like if I do go down that path that it will be a bit of a marginal city unless I stick the Moai Statues there. Certainly the absence of a food bonus makes it a bit worrying.

Anyway, I'd appreciate some advice here so feel free to fill in the rest of my dotmap as you please. I think the rest of the map is pretty straight forward to settle, and I'm under no obligation to rush my expansion as the AIs are (strangely) a long way away in each direction.

Settle 2W 1N of the western copper. With a lighthouse 19 out of 20 squares will provide two food, and the 20th will be able to be farmed at Civil Service. It'll grow slowly but surely, but production will be a problem. Science city, maybe?

And depending on the coastline and resources, the barb city looks like it could be in a good spot.

Settle 2W 1N of the western copper. With a lighthouse 19 out of 20 squares will provide two food, and the 20th will be able to be farmed at Civil Service. It'll grow slowly but surely, but production will be a problem. Science city, maybe?

I saw this spot too, and it seems the best fit if I want to get the copper, but then what do I do with the rest of the area? Trying to make use of the cows is especially hard and it's a very important tile given that it's the only food special around there.

And depending on the coastline and resources, the barb city looks like it could be in a good spot.

It is, there is rice and another resource (sugar I think) there.

Settle on the suggested spot 2W1N of the copper and make it your moai statues city.

Settle on the desert 1W of the lake for gold+stone+cows.

Last city should go up to NW, on the jungle grassland hill (at least I suppose it's a hill, hard to tell from the screenie) 1W2N of the oasis there.

Pretty much every city will be short on food, but that's the best I can make up for this crappy map.

eww. It sure is brown.