General tips?

[RogueNine]

I turned off Sid's tips and the in game help the 2nd day I had the game. Since the AI is using the same sillyness that the advisors give you, it makes it understandable why the AI must have bonuses at higher levels to compete.

 

[Byrath]

2) When is generally the best time to build your first city?

The AI (on Prince, anyway) seems to start placing its second cities shortly after 2500 BC. So, if you want to 'keep up with the joneses'.. try to get that first settler out around 2500 BC.
First city, just place it where your settler lands, unless there is another spot within one move that is *obviously* better. The spot where your settler stands seems to always be a very good city site (3+ resources, little if any desert or peak, and often a horse, copper or iron waiting to be discovered).

 

[Bezhukov]

"I build a worker after all the tiles that yield 3 food unimproved are being worked."

If you do the math, you'll see that this is suboptimal, especially if you're counting on choprushing your first settler. Those 3 food unimproved tiles only give you one more food/hammer per turn toward your first worker (the extra citizen takes two food to support itelf)> Compare to the 5 food the tile could produce if improved.

Basicially, non-improved tiles are barely worth the extra citizen they require to work. Get those workers on the job ASAP.