We are talking about a space of time where there are 3-4 units: archers, warriors, pathfinders, and maybe chariots. No, I don't think archers wearing that many hats is a problem. Warriors are a free unit available immediately. If they were more useful then you could skip military techs for longer. Chariots are dependent on having/connecting horses, so even if you can build them they are greatly delayed and can't be depended on in that window. When spears and horses become available the combat rounds out.
Spearmen aren't available yet, see above. Warriors aren't valuable units, that's right.
We had a conversation about this in October and it just died on the vine because people thought it was mostly okay that warriors weren't particularly strong.
If you honestly think Spearmen needed a boost, then you should reconsider my proposal to give spearmen formation I instead of the anti-mounted bonus, which makes them a more flexible defensive unit. But I don't think you do think spearmen are in a bad place.
This was always the case and your change doesn't do anything to change a mobility advantage. If anything the two units are more similar now.
we agree it will be harder to expand. we disagree that this is a positive, and we further disagree that this point was even debated until now.
The ability for barbarians to slow your expansion depends on random chance giving you enough barb camps for it to be a problem. This is leaning hard into early game randomness as a way to balance. Doesn't seem consistent.
An increase in city attack range to base 2 would counter this problem just as well without affecting unit/unit balance or barb hunting
see above.