Need Help with Monarch Dotmapping

[Sian]

in the progress of promoting myself to Monarch i rolled a map which i think i need some suggestions on the dot mapping

Huge Marathon NewWorld with random civ (rolled Byzans ... never played them beforehand) random number of continents and random if there's a new world (allready fairly sure that the civs aren't spilt between 3 continents, though there's still open for arguments that it could be Terrrasque (is that a word) or 2 continents)

Spoiler for Images

Spoiler :

anyone got a suggestion about how to take a go on this map ... before anyone asks, southwest was explored by a scout and i planed to explore north and east with the initial warrior which promptly got eaten by a lion as soon as the scout was down around the gold ... and then backtracked around towards the east to be eaten by a bear ... its my secondary warrior which is beating around to the north discovering that its just a big lake i'm at

uploaded the saves if anyone wants a stab at it

 

[assass1n]

you haven't met anyone till now because that will decide who quickly you want the copper
City I
Settle 1 E of the copper which nets Cows , Banana, Ivory and Copper

 

[Kev]

It would be helpful to see more to the immediate west and to the north. The only other borders I see is way to the south - green borders (possible Monte?) I wonder if you might have closer neighbors to the north/west.

With regard to that copper to your north, if you can possibly wait on it for a border pop I'd actually suggest settling on the southern elephant. It loses the cow compared to 1E of the copper, but you can just keep that cow under your capital's control. The elephant spot allows for more river tiles that you can use, and I think it might give the fresh-water health bonus as well - might be wrong I can't tell.

If nervous about the civ to the south, you could go after the copper that's in that direction. A few choices for that spot that I can fathom: 2 west of the eastern wheat, 2 west and 1 south of the copper (gets wheat and copper), or 2 south and 1 west of the copper (gets fish and copper).

It may be that you don't necessarily need copper in your second city and can have it wait until later ones. In that case I might suggest going after the eastern gems or even being more aggressive and grabbing the gold/pig/flood plains further south and east.

 

[slobberinbear]

I agree with Kev and would go ahead and get the copper first. You're on a big map and barbarians are not too far away. I would settle on the elephant located 5N, 2E of your capital.

I would then nab the floodplains/gold/pig site ASAP. That city will be a powerhouse.

 

[DaveMcW]

I would reload and research Animal Husbandry before Pottery.

 

[Soirana]

I'd quess pottery was from hut.

 

[Diamondeye]

NORTH:
Settle on the Elephant on river. Nets Copper soon enough, Ivory immidiately, and nets Banana later.
EAST: Settle 1 SW of Gems, nets Gems and Silk (?) immidiately, can use Banana later on, and is in a good defensive position (Mountains and river) as long as you can hold the gem tile (which should be flatland, and chopped by the time you are at war = attackable from city).
Settle 3E1S of Capital; early on production with 3 hills and cows, later on Commerce.
SOUTH: Settle eastern Silk to grab Copper later, Silk immidiately, use capitals Cows and chainirrigate/watermill with SP (backfill city lategame). Settle coastal plainshill for Corn/Fish.

Montezuma is to your south, so Copper and southwards is crucial.

 

[Soirana]

Given fact settler is not started yet and that is marathon... Situation might change a lot than Ai's start dropping they cities.

My initial thought was chop out two settlers and try blocking Monty with Cities near Pig and fish+sheep, but that idea is about one thousand years to late to start.

Personally i would rther go for copper near floodplains (you covered copper with screenshot naming). Very simple setting FP at least uses fact of early pottery.