Falamar vs Hannah

This used to be an easy debate. However, with the decrease in costs of early techs, and the major bonus that falamar gets in building settlers, it isn't so obvious. Let me break it down how I see it:

Hannah:
Financial trait is playing to the strengths of the Lanun. From the moment you research fishing, you are probably getting a good 50% more commerce, that will only taper off (percentage wise) in time. Raider trait is better for finishing the game via a military objective. Raider gets your strong units into combat more, and lets you blitz your way through an empire.

Falamar:
It's all about rapid expansion with Falamar. Not only does he get that extra tiles worth of production, but he also builds settlers at a significantly greater speed. You do not have to, for instance, prioritize Mysticism to get production going, and getting into city-states doesn't then ruin that production. Charismatic trait allows Falamar to get another promotion or two on his units, (though consider that until they get something like 20 XP, they are worse than Hannahs, which start with a very strong promotion. If you get combat 1 to 4, and then commando, for instance).

The real difference is in the first 80 turns, and the last 50 however. Falamar can spit out settlers very fast, and can settle his capital in a wider range of locations without worrying about health. If a size 5 city has -2 food from unhealth (Due to being located on a coast with no fresh water) than falamar is probably producing new settlers at 2 or 3 times the speed. While Hannah's capital is stronger immediately after researching fishing (And gets fishing a few turns earlier), Falamar's additional 1 happiness early on is +1 tile per city worked, which actually equals out the commercial bonus fairly well. (One more 2 food 2 commerce tile, at the very least. Big in a city that is size 5 instead of size 4).

At the end of the game though is when Hannah will often prove her worth. If you go to a victory via Chalid, the fact he AND his summons start with commando is very strong. The first civ goes down faster, sometimes about twice as fast. The second and third (And more) also are conquered significantly easier especially due to them not having had the chance to tech as high. I find getting the early tech boost via hannah, combined with a fast conquering force of Chalids and Rathas can actually get going before certain civs start defending with archers. A big plus.

Oh, and I guess Falamar gets a little relations bonus. I guess that's nice too.

Back then when Expansive wasn't really all so solid Falamar was dependent on Trade routes unlike Hanah to really pull his weight. Not least thanks to cheap harbors which improve them.

I think this might have actually improved even more now since anything he could do back then he can do even better now save for the nerfed coves which even might hurt Hannah a bit more overall...

So i guess going for a (mostly) peaceful (especially with the ladies ) game when you play him and aiming for Trade (foreign-trade civic) + either Honor or Deception (Undercouncil + Esus might still be far superior thanks to slave-trade and the possibility to still wage some limited battles thanks to HN Recon...) and very improtantly the greath lighthouse might be very much worth it. Then enforce open borders with all other councilors and have some real fun trading all over the place and watch your empire flourish. Enhance Trade-routes by resolutions and grow the many cities you spammed (location is not so very crucial as long as you keep costal for those tasty +4 Routes and +50% yield)

Further augumented of cause by lots of water / different landmasses (on archipelago maps Falamar might even pull ahead in the very late stages of the game. Am not finally sure. Someone would have to test that firsthand to prove...) for the huge overseas trade bonus.

Also try to get one or 2 cities really huge so their trade-bonus can really skyrocket.
10 Routes with about 10 Value each is nothing to scoff at (and thats just base commerce and not counting tiles and specialists. Library, Academy and the crown might really produce great mileage here). And dize 30 vities should still be doable as the lanun if you really aim for it and have some luck in terms of resources. (+ possibly toss the City of a thousand slums into the mix.)

The improved worth of non-cottage improvements might have even further tilted the balance to make it a bit more even.
Especially the new Workshops might be a real help. (and Guilds is not all such a bad civic for Lanun so there are some serious synergies in the Economic and Industy-lines of techs to be had here imo...)
When Windmills might finally get their well deserved placement to an earlier tech Falamar might even go as far as being competitive with Hannah if the setup / your playstyle is right.

Not exactly a strategy for warmongers or aggressively minded players who like small maps or short games but distinct enough from Hannahs suggested "way to play" and far less dependent on improvement-micro and with less restraint on expansion. (Trade routes auto-assign for maximum yield and take no time to improve + allow for what are is virtually unlimited expension in terms of pure upkeep if you get all the base things up. Just get as many basic routes as possible and spam cities like mad. Slavery might help here getting over the early problems in hammers. Guilds or Theocracy + Altar later as mentioned above.
Some nodes turned law and city states or aristocratic government might further augment the whole thing nicely...)

Still there are some big ifs with the possibility (but those exist for most strategies after all) to get the great lighthouse early (or at all) and the right diplomatic setup. (If its a booooring warmonger game with very many factions and all leaders full of testosterone it might be a tad bit harder to set up. But then you can still try to vassal all those buggers...)