another one

[kaskavel]

This game keeps fascinating me. Every time I feel I finaly mastered its secrets, new questions get created. At first glance, it seemed like a non-complicated start. And yet, it created many new questions. I have moved on from the screenshot (I eventualy moved the scout 2-4 and the settler at 3), but the questions posed are more general and apply to various starting positions.
1. Under what circumstances do you move the settler away from a bonus grassland? (I am sitting on one right now). For example in this situation, it will become at least the third stronger square, thus paying off at size 3, probaly fourth (something is likely to be revealed on the outer squares), perhaps fifth (this is what would have happened if I settled right away). The settler loses a turn, but the worker wins one. How do you take this decision?
2. When the time comes, do you in general prefer to hook a luxury (emperor) or work on a useful grassland? Which is the priority? It has to do with the size you decide to use for building settlers, but it is difficult to decide that so early.
3. Do you often consider moving to settle on top of the luxury? (makes some sense here and there are in fact two options (both are rivered). I lose the 10 shields, connect immediately, gain 4 worker turns....
4. If the luxury is on a forest, do you road it? Probably better to cut the forest for the granary and then road it as I eventualy did?
It seemed simple, yet after thinking it carefuly, I found myself unable to decide even about where to move my scout...

 

[Spoonwood]

Under what circumstances do you move the settler away from a bonus grassland?

Food bonus(es).

When the time comes, do you in general prefer to hook a luxury (emperor) or work on a useful grassland? Which is the priority? It has to do with the size you decide to use for building settlers, but it is difficult to decide that so early.

I disagree with the later part. I just use the luxury slider more if needed. Generally speaking, early on it's working a grassland and later it's hooking a luxury.

Do you often consider moving to settle on top of the luxury?

No. But, I can see a point to settling on the luxury.

If the luxury is on a forest, do you road it? Probably better to cut the forest for the granary and then road it as I eventualy did?

Almost always I will cut a forest and then road the tile even with a luxury, because that takes fewer worker turns than roading the forested luxury tile and then chopping the forest.

Honestly with this start, if settling in place (which I know you didn't, but assuming it was optimal on that map to settle in place), I probably wouldn't worry about developing the luxury tile until both bonus grasslands got mined and roaded.

 

[kaskavel]

Food bonus(es).

Assuming you have none to gain in sight, when do you sacrifice a move in order to free the grassland shield?

Honestly with this start, if settling in place (which I know you didn't, but assuming it was optimal on that map to settle in place), I probably wouldn't worry about developing the luxury tile until both bonus grasslands got mined and roaded.

Then there is an issue about losing a tempo while crossing back the river, but OK, it makes sense overall

 

[Spoonwood]

Assuming you have none to gain in sight, when do you sacrifice a move in order to free the grassland shield?

I probably don't. Hard to say though.

Then there is an issue about losing a tempo while crossing back the river, but OK, it makes sense overall

??? Cross back to the regular grassland spot from the dyes closer to the southern bonus grassland and there is no loss of tempo here.

 

[kaskavel]

??? Cross back to the regular grassland spot from the dyes closer to the southern bonus grassland and there is no loss of tempo here.

Well, that tile is not a priority but whatever, that is an insignificant detail I guess.

 

[Lanzelot]

On emperor, the luxury resource has high priority (helps you to get to Republic faster). Though I would probably do it similar to what Spoonwood said: first improve 1-2 BGs, then chop the forest into the granary and connect the dyes. (When starting with Pottery, it may be worth it to do a farmer's gambit, and first chop the forest and connect the dyes, before improving the BGs?!)

On the other hand, in this particular situation with a scout, I would first scout a bit up and down the river to see if a food bonus is nearby. (In one game, I moved my settler 5 times, before founding the capital, and it payed off big time, because I was lucky and found a cow.)

If I start near a lux resource on hill, desert or jungle, then I try to settle on the lux resource, if that doesn't have some other drawback (like moving away from the river or from a food bonus). The exception is of course wine on hill: that tile is too strong to be settled upon... But with a lux resource on forest, I prefer to get the 10s from chopping, and the lux is still connected "early enough".