Swamp is 2 food 1 shield and the game is 1 food 1 shield. This means the Game is still 2 food 2 shields at the start and worth having in the city radius IMO.
I made a map of locations:
1) Advantages - Immediate access to the game. Disadvantages - I see swamp to the east. That is 3 squares that will be useless for a long time - still the city won't be bigger than size 14 for a long time either. Not coastal
2) Advantages - Gets the game once the radius expands. Maximum number of hills. Disadvantage - a single sea square is wasted because we are not coastal.
3) Advantages - Coastal capitol. Disadvantages - Loses the 2/2 game square.
I think that game square is very important. If we work a hill we cannot grow at size 1. Therefore we have to work the 2/1 Bonus Grassland (after expansion) and a normal grassland at size 2 without the game.
Position 2 allows us to work a 2/2 tile and a 2/1 tile. At size 2 we get 5 shields instead of 3. At size 1 we get 4 shields instead of 3 (once we expand - 10 turns)
Position 1 is similar to position 2 except we get to work the 2/2 deer tile right away. I guess with position 3 and 2 we will be working a regular grassland until the expansion since we want to grow. Thus for the 10 turns before expansion we get 4 shields for position 1 instead of 2 for position 2 and 3. I think the real loss here is that we have one hill less than position 2 and the swamp. Both do not matter until far into the game however.
I think I like position 2 best. It allows us to settle a turn sooner than 1 and 3 (right?) and will be very powerful with all those hills in the latter game.
Next I like position 1. Getting the deer right away is good in AW - more defenders very early on - It is a tough choice between 2 and 1. It also has less shields long term (one less hill and no deer).
I do not like 3 as much. The loss of 1/2 shields at size 1 and 2 for the capitol early on combined with the fact that we are playing AW makes me not like this choice even though it gains the coast. We need to both build an army and expand and Hardy settlers are very expensive. (Our second city can make use of the coast if we wish).
I didn't like the rest of the spots as much because I think we want to 1) settle on a hill for the extra shield, 2) be on the river so we can easily grow past size 7.
I think I got all the facts right. We can only get to size 2 and only if we work 2 food squares (uses up the 2 extra food). Settling on a hill is 2 shields which is very powerful.
Anyway, I think we should discuss more. What do the rest of you think?
Here is a map with 1, 2, and 3 on it:
