Interesting question. We need vigorous growth if we are to achieve a cultural victory. I agree we need to produce another settler soon.
Weve had some good discussions about how to develop our cities to help achieve our goals, but I wonder if new information might suggest we revisit our strategic and tactical plans. For instance, in a thread about a week ago we discussed the desirability of having Camelot produce a barracks, which it currently is doing. However, at that time we also assumed that our new settler factory, Provolutia, would be settled sooner than it was. For good reasons we decided to establish other cities first; but by doing so, weve put ourselves behind in producing settlers.
I would change production queues at the beginning of the next playturn. Specifically, I would change Camelots barracks to a settler (and fire the scientist and put a citizen to work). After that I would produce a worker; then another settler; then dedicate it as our permanent worker factory (assuming Provolutia is producing settlers). Well need lots of workers and squeezing them out of Donsignia and Roosting Tree between producing vet warriors and chariots isnt a good plan IMO (unless we need to reduce their size for happiness reasons).
Provolutia should switch production to a granary so we can establish the settler pump ASAP.
Donsignia should continue producing its barracks, and then produce nothing but vet warriors and chariots. Roosting Tree is currently building a worker and then will presumably build a barracks. We need another worker to help develop Donsignia and Roosting Tree but well also want a barracks from there soon. Id continue with the worker, then produce a barracks, though switching to a barracks in Roosting Tree has its attractions.
Bentley is currently producing a warrior. Although Im not a fan of spears, Id make an exception in this case and switch Bentleys production to a spear. Why? Two reasons: first, by poaching Indias iron weve made an enemy that is likely to attack us soon. Bentley is the logical focus of their attack so we need an improved defense. This alone wouldnt be a good enough reason to produce a spear rather than a couple of warriors, but a spear would also fit well into a combined forces stack that could be used when we declare war on India (one spear anchoring a stack of swords). However, I wouldnt complain at all if we dismiss the idea of the spear.
I got too chatty here and my post has expanded the discussion way beyond SaaM's original point.
Anyway, we do need to keep our settler production ramped up.
