first game questions - macro ?

Hello civ companions!

After some failed games (abandon: last and unable to catch up, lose saved game), i'm eventually in a good position

Elizabeth - epique - small map - pangea - 3 opponents

1) I selected 5 city state contrary to the normal 8. I think the normal number of CS is too much and don't allow you to expand a lot
=> Am i the same thinking that?

2) I m on macro, for me it seems natural: building fews military units to handle with barbarians and for the minimal security. So all my prod go on my civ expansion. I plan to do it until i got enough prod to build fast a big army with top technology and crush one oponent in one war.
=> Is it not the most efficient way to win military? It's a hard battle to conquer a city and after you have to deal with happiness problem and most of the time taken city are not very interesting (few buildings, few citizens). What do you think?

Thank you, good games!

Playing as Elizabeth, or as any civ really, a good strategy for conquest is to have your army built before unlocking Construction. 40 hammer archers, which become Composite Bowmen and later Crossbowmen (or Longbowmen), is too good a deal to pass up.