Sorry Ornen.... I posted yesterday and never answered your OP, nor did I mean to simply break your question down to a binary either/or decision. There are many potential starting moves, based on play style, civ characteristics and map parameters, here's mine.
My initial starting strategy is based on a very low bar... the metaphorical desert, where everything above that (resources, luxuries, goody huts, envoys) is a bonus but not required. The only requirement that might trigger a restart is lack of fresh water, though even that can be mitigated over time.
I tend to play, deity, huge world, continents, marathon, all civs. This means that it's going to get "down and dirty" very fast. Worse still, that first clash will be conducted with very few technical or social advances Without any science or culture bonuses it's 27 turns for first tech (Animal Husbandry) and 45 turns for first civic (Code of Laws).
If there is a wooded plains hill with water access within 2 turns, or a beaut position like river delta with hills on the coast, I'll move, otherwise I'm looking to put usable bonus food resources, especially pastures, within the first or second ring. As a secondary consideration is strategic positioning, such things as a mountain range or coastline can greatly reduce the arc on which threats can appear, though at the same time they limit your options for expansion. Tactical defensive positioning is generally of low priority, as my starting parameters calls for an aggressive play style, which means that very quickly (~200 turns), nothing gets near my capital. The only corollary to that is, I tend to move AWAY from rain-forest; it blocks visibility, slows movement, and provides good defensive terrain adjacent to my city. All of which can be used against me, and it's iron-working before it can be chopped.
Ok, so you've hit the build button, and got your first city. Tech is Animal husbandry > Archery. Build is slinger / builder / slinger / slinger with the final slinger micro-managed to arrive one turn before Archery. If you need to delay Archery to build that third slinger, then switch to Mining (my third tech). As regards workforce placement, I'm Old School and emphasize growth over production, as extra population at this stage reaps massive rewards, compared to additional units. Remember, marathon speed advantages unit moves over build or science turns, and there tends to be a window of about 20-30 initial turns where nothing very much happens apart from the occasional barb scout. 2 pop in your Cap is far more able to build rush a slinger in emergencies than the 1 pop you've got.... because you emphasized production.... because you worried about emergencies.... Fortune favours the bold!
However, having said that, a nearby luxury or resource that gives 2f 1c + additional culture, science, gold, or even faith, can very often provide far greater short/mid-term reward than a 3f cattle hex, this however is case specific, debatable and should not be considered as part of a base-line strategy. The real question, in those first 30 turns, is not what your building or what your teching, but what are you doing with that warrior?
It boils down to a philosophical position, do you use it to generate opportunity, or do you use to mitigate against disaster?.... IMO, if you choose the second option at this stage of the game, you're probably playing the wrong game. The truth is, you'll never know until you look. It is therefore a scout and, what's-more, a sub-optimal one, but it is what you've got.... Fortune favours the bold! It is however, ALL you've got... Adversity punishes recklessness! Therefore... use it wisely!
The gathering of information, in this sense, is called scouting, but there are two distinct and separate types;-
1) Mapping;- Turning black hexes to shaded hexes. This is the critical information that you will need to base your immediate plans upon.
2) Visibility;- Turning shaded hexes to bright hexes. This is the information that warns you of impending threats.
At this stage, you need to maximise 1) whilst heeding 2). You need to form a picture of the surrounding terrain say 5 to 6 hexes outside of your current borders. Such things as rivers, mountains and coastlines define your natural borders and the immediate limits to your expansion. Jungles, hills, forests, deserts and tundras, all these give you a picture of where you are in the world, and combined with resources and luxuries, in what direction your first expansion will be most profitable. Co-incidental to this you may discover huts, CS, AI's, natural wonders, barb outposts and foreign continents, these are all potential opportunities, and give tech/civic boosts, but are not guaranteed nor should they be required to your over-all strategy.
The best way to fulfill this requirement, quickly and efficiently is to utilise specific map tools and use certain movement practices, that help to improve the warrior's scouting capabilities, whilst minimising it's exposure to risk. The map tools you need are;-
1) Grid;-This overlays the map with a fine hex pattern that shows you each individual space, and is useful for planning moves in large areas of similar terrain.
2) Yield;-This shows the individual return in food, cogs, science, gold, culture, faith from each hex and collectively forms a picture of benefits for a city site. The other benefit is that it will indicate the proximity of natural wonders, as most enhance the yield of surrounding hexes.
3) Settler filter;- This is the most useful filter as, not only does it show water access, but.... and here's the cookie, it red zones un-settleable terrain due to mountains, oasis and most importantly proximity to other cities... this is how to find AI's and CS and should be used at least every turn if not between individual moves of that turn.
These last two are useful ways of predicting the next black map squares, before you move, and thus avoid making needless or less productive reconnaissance. Anything of note can then be highlighted using the map-pin toggle, to act as a reminder in future turns. This function is also useful to pinpoint the location where you meet other players units, as this will tell you the general direction in which they came from, and thus your potential threats.... or targets.
As regards movement practices, here are some helpful guidelines. Begin with a physical movement barrier, mountain range or coastline, move out 5 or 6 squares from your city centre, always remaining 2-3 turns away from your city. This depends on the intervening terrain and can be checked using the path-tracker (right button hold, I believe). Proceed around this circumference, utilising a "skipping" process wherever possible, two hexes of plain for speed, followed by one hex of hills for visibility, try to "peek" around hills, before stepping onto them next turn. Avoid combat, unless it's a half dead scout (which may indicate the presence of other units) and heal immediately in a defensive position with good visibility. Utilise terrain to it's maximum as follows;-
1) Hills;- provide increased visibility and unit defence, and should be utilised when ever possible to maximise mapped squares and fore-warning of immediate threats. Skirt the edges, but try to avoid entering too deep as it will limit your ability to react to threats on your city.
2) Forests, jungle;- provide defensive terrain, particularly when combined with hills, but limit sight, which makes it possible to bumble into things. Once again entering deep into a thick forest or jungle can be a death trap.
3) Rivers;- Important to scout as, due to fresh water access, these generally provide the best city positions. They also give defensive bonus (attacking penalties) from across the river, and movement penalties when crossing it. If you can assess which way is downstream it will lead you to the coast... eventually. Should you encounter a barb, place yourself on the opposite side, thus forcing him to attack you at penalty.
4) Plains/grassland;-Worth mapping but be cautious, as enemy movement exceeds visibility range.
5) Desert /Tundra;- Avoid if possible as enemy movement exceeds visibility range, use hills to map.
Understand these are
guidelines and techniques, and should not be treated as fixed rules. There is always the risk vs reward calculation, and experience and practice will help you determine the correct choice. Time your return to coincide with the appearance of your first slinger. These now pair up as a double act, generally staying within your borders for defence of the city and future builder, with brief forays out to kill barb outposts, prioritising the kill for the slinger and thus the Archery boost.
