higher level experts do you build a Worker first or something else?

[Gliese 581]

With the slash between agriculture and hunting I meant word or. So agriculture OR hunting. I'm not sure about this one, but there surely are cases where it's better to start off with warrior/scout to let the population grow while researching the needed techs.

Yes, I would certainly go for a warrior / scout first in the situation you describe. Popping huts and exploring is also valuable, and you can use a warrior later on as garrison, so it's something you'll have to build before expansion anyhow. I consider this example: If the tiles are forests and/or unirrigated grasslands or plains, and a cow, and you build worker + research AH; on epic worker is 23 turns, AH would take about 20. Then mining 12 turns (no commerce tiles in bfc being worked) Assuming worker moves out and builds a pasture in 6 turns, there's still 3 turns left to go for mining, then he needs to wait for bronze working about 25 turns.. 28 idle turns, 27 with moving onto forest? No thanks..

 

[Porphyrius]

^^
27-28 turns that with just 1 population you will be having 7 (food surplus)+hammers to build extra workers or settlers. Thats compared to 4 you'd get initially or merely 5 after growing to size 2 after no less than 17 turns. Or 13 turns for the next worker rather than 23(initial) or 18(size 2), or 22 for a settler rather than 38(initial) or 30(size 2).
Plus a chance to quickly hook horses should they show up.

You have a solid point however about considering not just the first improvement but all in a line. If the cows were ivory, furs or non iriggatable rice i'd think twice before commiting to a worker.

 

[Gliese 581]

^^
27-28 turns that with just 1 population you will be having 7 (food surplus)+hammers to build extra workers or settlers. Thats compared to 4 you'd get initially or merely 5 after growing to size 2 after no less than 17 turns. Or 13 turns for the next worker rather than 23(initial) or 18(size 2), or 22 for a settler rather than 38(initial) or 30(size 2).
Plus a chance to quickly hook horses should they show up.

You have a solid point however about considering not just the first improvement but all in a line. If the cows were ivory, furs or non iriggatable rice i'd think twice before commiting to a worker.

I'm not disputing that building a worker first might be slightly better for expansion even under these circumstances, but you also have to weigh the benefits of getting a second unit out. Getting an extra tech or some gold from a hut can be invaluable and also ensuring that you get the most important land scouted (around your capital) in case your first unit dies.

Edit: Another thing we didn't consider is the expansive trait, were growing a pop could significantly increase production speed of a worker.

 

[Jhoratio]

Zanttu,

Check your signature. "Omhem" is not a word in Latin.

 

[Artichoker]

^^
27-28 turns that with just 1 population you will be having 7 (food surplus)+hammers to build extra workers or settlers. Thats compared to 4 you'd get initially or merely 5 after growing to size 2 after no less than 17 turns. Or 13 turns for the next worker rather than 23(initial) or 18(size 2), or 22 for a settler rather than 38(initial) or 30(size 2).
Plus a chance to quickly hook horses should they show up.

You have a solid point however about considering not just the first improvement but all in a line. If the cows were ivory, furs or non iriggatable rice i'd think twice before commiting to a worker.

A worker is definitely a unit that needs work to do, or else he is useless.

Personally, I find that the 1st worker's work goes a long way.

Basically, different squares have varying levels of improvement when improved by a worker, and this will definitely determine the priority of which squares are being worked.

High priority squares, perhaps divided between multiple cities, can all be improved by the same worker.

The question is, when do you want to start improving the lower-priority squares, that don't give as high an improvemnent? It's when the high-priority squares have already been improved.

However, having 0 workers is not good either, since the high-priority squares remain unimproved.