OK, I just ran a test. I built warrior 3 (T45) and then continued on settler 2. Warrior 3 was in his fog busting location on T51.
I checked WB every turn and the bear disappeared on T49 and the lion attacked warrior 1 and died on T52. Human barbs started spawing east of our capital (both warriors and archers) on T50. No more barbs spawed on the peninsula. I think warrior 3 made it there just in time.
Silverado was settled on T58 (3 turns behind our plan). However, T58 is the turn that the silver mine was completed, so we are able to work the improved silver the turn it is completed.
Monotheism comes in on T61 (1 turn behind) due to not working commerce squares while building warrior 3.
Warrior 4 is due out of the capital on T62 (2 turns later). Warrior 5 is due out of Silverado on T64(two turns later).
I think this is the less risky option which only puts us 1 turn behind in science (thanks to not having Silverado working unimproved silver) it will also delay Settler 3 by 2 turns (may be less since the PH mine will be done before settler 3 is completed).
I'm not available for running a test game anytime soon, so I'll take your word for it on the numbers that you ran.
Settler 2 coming out a bit later isn't that HUGE of a deal, as we won't quite have the Silver Resource mined, but it sounds like in your testing, we'll at most miss using the improved Silver for 1 turn--one turn because the turn that a Resource is completed, it can be used.
Right now it sounds like we're faced with either giving up the west to the Barbs or getting another Warrior ASAP. We still might lose the west if we lose Warrior 3, but that plan still gives us the smallest amount of risk of facing a couple of Barb Archers from the west.
A third alternative would be to stick to our planned build order and throw the first few Warriors out west, expecting to lose a couple of them. That option doesn't really sound all that great, either, as people want to see what's to the east, not what's to the west.
Possible Micromanagement Tip
Mitchum, I would suggest that 1 turn saved on building Settler 2 will be worth as many as 6 less turn of working an unimproved Corn in favour of working a 1F + 2H square. Therefore, be ready to switch a Corn for a 1F + 2H square as much as you need to, both for building that Warrior 3 ASAP and for potentially getting Settler 2 faster with Hammer overflow, if you can.
So, it looks like we need to choose between:
a) Stick with our original build order. From there, we can use our Warriors that come in the late-50s and early-60s of turns to either stick with our exploration (and ignore the west Barbs) or send then west first, as a clean-up crew.
b) Change our build order and trust that Mitchum will do a reasonable job of micromanaging to maximize Hammers, as well as maximizing possible Hammer overflow back into the Settler, keeping us on track as much as possible for getting that Settler out. With the change to our build order, we'll aim to replace the western Warrior ASAP, with the hopes that doing so will reduce or prevent the spawning of Barb Archers in the west.
Note that I intentionally grouped the options of sticking to the same build order as one voting option, option a), so as not to unfairly split a vote. Another vote would need to occur if option a) wins.
I have to go out right now, but I'm fine with option b).
LOL
