I think the new Dotmap tool is fantastic. My dotmaps currently consist of a series of signs that say "c prod" or "c comm" or "maybe here?" on the tile next to another sign that says "or here?". As I explore, I drop signs in the event I can actually settle those spots.
I can certainly just "look at" an area and know where I want my cities, just like I can look at my city screen and know how much overflow I will get if I whip, or hover my mouse over the "whip now" button and know how many turns left til my whip anger disappears. I can easily check a pile of screens every single turn to get the same exact info BUG supplies, like how much gold each AI has, or the fact that I have a city about to go into Unhappiness. With enough extra time and patience, I can make dotmaps in the Strategy Layer with lines.
BUG is an excellent tool, one that actually should have been included in the game itself as "An advanced optional GUI", so to speak. It is extremely customizable, any player can choose their own alerts, make his/her own decision about using the various features, etc. Speaking for myself, I dont care for the new way the city Foodbasket is displayed. Gonna turn that one off. You folks can line em up any way you see fit.