I have a quick question about exploring, since you place such a high priority on it.
Once you popped the hut for the map, your second warrior was only a turn or two from completion. Which direction did you send the second warrior in? And when/how did you fill in the gaps that the map from the hut left you with?
I find maps from huts distressing because of the gaps in the map they give. I'm tempted to explore the area the map didn't reveal (unless another hut is revealed) but backtracking to fill gaps is so inefficient.
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Sisiutil said:
Well, obviously, certain things become higher in priority, others lower. So, here are my thoughts on the matter. Let me know if you agree or not.
1. Military - Just enough to deal barbs. I think I should hold off on barracks until other civs are within reach.
2. Cities - Coastal cities are obviously a priority. There's seafood to the northwest, west, and southeast. There are other good potential coastal city sites due south (to claim the copper) and northeast (wheat and cow). I look forward to the dotmaps. Some REXing is in order, I think.
3. Resources - I think either copper or horses are the priority, for defense from barbarians. Which one I go for first really depends on which will be the better city site.
4. Techs - Obviously Fishing -> Sailing becomes a priority. However, with all that jungle to clear, so is Iron Working.
5. Victory Condition - And isolated start always makes me start considering a cultural victory. In which case, we'll need to figure out how to get to Music first for the free Great Artist, and how to get the Sistine Chapel built. However, much may depend on whether other civs are within reach.
I won't weigh in on long term priorities but in the short term I see a few areas that need to be addressed.
1. Barbs - Great Wall is a good possibility, as others have mentioned. I am kind of a fan of that since it would mean you can choose your sites at a more leisurely pace. Otherwise its a rush for Copper or Horses. Unfortunately neither site looks like it has great food resources available in the short term. Placing a city S or SW(also coastal) of the horses would give you horses and Gold in the first ring, no need for a border pop, with Cows in the second ring. You'd get two or three desert tiles for your trouble, but with Horses and Gold you'd have some decent early production. It does look kind of bad in the long term though.
2. Culture - with no religion in your near future and the likelyhood of settling 8-10 cities on your island, you will need a way to pop borders. Stongehenge might be a good call here. It costs the same hammers as 4 Monuments, so if you think you'll need to build/whip 4 or more it starts looking pretty attractive.
The map looks challenging and I'm looking forward to seeing how you tackle it. The second city site is a difficult decision, with a lot of other difficult decisions in the near future. Getting a workboat out to explore and make contact in the NE would be nice, but for now there's no reason to settle in that direction.
I agree with your assessment that Sailing should be a priority. Your UB is set to be the star of the show, which means you can't put off Writing (nor should you.) Getting Sailing and making contact will allow you to grab alphabet and tech trade, which you are quite adept at and seem to enjoy.