Settlers before Collective Rule on deity?

[Megalou]

Let's say you play deity and choose Liberty as your first social policy branch. Do you usually build a settler before you get the free one from the Collective Rule social policy?
I myself have not done so in the majority of my deity games. The need for growth and other builds in the capital is my primary reason. My secondary reason is difficulty defending and tending the second city. My tertiary reason is the higher shield cost of settlers pre-Collective Rule. (I virtually never build settlers in other towns than the capital.)

But I'm not sure what's best in the long run.

 

[cocls]

if you are playing liberty wide strategy for late game victory like science or culture, than usually not before.
if you are playing liberty 3-4 city early warmongering strategy (like cb rush), than 50-50 choice.

 

[Megalou]

Interesting, @cocls, so your take is that in the second scenario you might be able to spew out a few CBs or upgradeable archers from your second town? Theoretically (with virtually no experience of an early settler path) I agree since monument and library need to be finished first in the second city, and if you want it to contribute to CB warmongering before it's too late, well ... .

 

[so_what]

Actually it depends on the game, if there is a important wonder / extremely good location i would be tempted to do it. Another potential reason is when I have too many workers stolen, I might get a huge production penalty with just one city.