Automated workers...Good or Bad?

[Ghraabthar]

When I played my first few games to feel out the AI the automation seemed pretty good, though for whatever reason the AI builds more with a long term mindset (lots of cottages, windmills > mines). When I started playing on Prince and Monarch, I find that micromanaging my workers in the early game helps to get a jump on the AI. Things like getting the most out of your starting city, building improvements around a future city site, and chopping trees outside of the city radius are things that you can do that an AI won't which will give you that extra edge.

However, when I start my initial swordsmen rush of my neighbor thats when I turn the automation on.