I like the basic idea of this strategy, but as with so many strategies that people propose on these forums, it unfortunately doesn't work out as simply as all that. Here are some of the problems I've noticed. The first is map placement. Sometimes you don't have room for four or five cities. The second is location. You may be in a location where you have city sites but they lack luxuries, and/or contain terrain that is inimical to fast growth, like tundra. The third is the barbarians. A single scout is not going to protect you from the barbarians, at least not on Emperor difficulty. You need some troops to fight them off. The fourth is trade. If you build your first caravan as indicated by this strategy and send it out, it will most likely be plundered by the barbarians. The end result of all this is that you're going to have a difficult time getting four or five cities up quickly, not to mention making them grow. Still, I think it's a good approach, even if it's not a guaranteed win.