I doubt that anyone will argue with the siting of the SSC, our second city, on the plains to encompass the two whales )and potentially more).
I think that the capital should be on the grassland shield to the east of where the settler has built the road. This will waste a grassland shield admittedly, but it will have a lot more production potential than including so many sea squares and minimise corruption for the SSC while still allowing harbour and ship construction. An excellent site for Shakespeare's Theatre and the production and rehoming of a load of BBs if our strategy points that way.
Actually, given what we now know, and closely examining the map and patterns, I have to disagree.
Here is why.
If we found any city to the east of the NW site, we will crowd our future eastern cities if the terrain does not extend a long ways east. The horseman can come down and find out what we have there, and the Chariot can go south, then curl west.
In the mean time, settler #1 can build a road (which is needed no matter what, and will be built and used no mater what). The delay is 3 days,
not 5. The net cost is 6 food and 6 shields, and the shield loss will be made up and greatly rewarded by the elimination of the waste in the SSC/capital up north. Waste will not be a factor in Despotism for the south city until the 11th turn, wheras it will be effective immediatley if the SSC is the #2 city. This is a loss of 1 shield per turn in a city that needs to be making wonders.
Once Monarchy is established, the southern city will not experince waste until about size 4, wheras the SSC would get it at least one citizen sooner, due to the production of the whales.
With a Palace in the SSC, the trade production of the SSC will crush... totally crush... the early production of the reverse founding order.
Given the distance involved, if the #1 settler founds the #1 city, we are going to need a Palace, not courthouse, in the SSC city. That cost is half a wonder. I believe gaining half a wonder in early game is worth six food icons.
Keep in mind that in 3 turns from now, both settlers will be blinking and ready to move onto their founding tile, and found their cities on exactly the same turn (assuming settler #1 make a 2nd road segment straight north). The result will be a total of 3 science beakers, or three cities of output for the cost of only 2 cities.
Anyway, it is a profound early game mistake to found on a grassland shield when there are other suitable grassland non-shields to found on. This one tiny difference is a 100-shield penalty by the AD1500s.
In late game, multiples are what's even more important... and in many cases, it simple does not matter if you found on GNS or GS. But in early game, it make a stunning difference, and in the case of the terrain down south, must be avoided at all costs.
Anyway, my vote is still for the NW site, but I
don't want it as the Capital (given that we know about the 2 whales, plus 1 or 2 more specials up north), it should be the #2 city, and we might as well make the road, which is needed in any event.
