I used the optimizations and recommendations about smaller city development I found in this post
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=10322839&postcount=713
and others concerning PC and focused on building LH early in smaller cities.
My test game statistics at the start of T150
CC 5 Pop, 126/525 on Great Library 16/75 on Trireme, 23/45 food (Granary, LH, Monument, forge, Library)
FH 2 Pop 4 Overflow hammers 0/90 on LH 29/36 food (Granary, Oracle, Pyramids)
SM 2 Pop 38/90 Granary 25/36 food (LH, Monument)
PC 3 Pop 30/90 Granary 12/39 food (LH)
MC 1 Pop 7 Overflow hammers 0/90 Granary 3/33 (LH)
BF 2 Pop 19/90 Granary 0/36 (LH)
Crabby 1 Pop 4/90 LH 8/33 food
Pigs 1 Pop 0/90 LH 0/33 food
Total pop 17
2 workers, 10 nets planted, 2 workboats exploring, 1 galley, 2 warriors
research is 25 sustainable with +1 gold
Ron's latest posted test game start of T151
CC 7 Pop 51/75 trireme 26/51 food (Granary, LH, Monument, forge, Library)
FH 3 Pop 0 OF hammers 16/39 food (LH)
SM 3 Pop 25/90 granary 12/39 food (LH, Monument)
PC 3 Pop 34/90 LH 9/39 food
MC 3 Pop 17/90 Granary 10/39 food (LH)
BF 1 Pop 26/90 LH
Pigs 1 Pop 5/90 Granary 21/33 food
total pop (21)
3 workers, 9 nets, 2 exploring workboats, 1 galley, 2 warriors
research is 33 sustainable with +1 gold
Comparison what my game has/lacks compared to ron's
LH in PC (+45 raw hammers)
LH in BF (+45 raw hammers)
extra fishing net (+45 raw hammers)
126 on GLib (+63 "raw" hammers)
16 on trireme vs ron's 51 (-35 "raw" hammers)
4 OF in FH (+4)
SM's granary +13 hammers (38 vs. 25)
PC granary partial (+30 raw hammers)
ron's partial LH in PC (-17 raw hammers)
MC (-10 raw hammers (7 OF vs. 17 hammers on granary)
BF (+6 raw hammers) (19 on granary vs. 26 on LH)
Pigs (-5 raw hammers for partial granary)
Crabby (+ 2 raw on LH)
net +186 hammers
Food
CC (-3 food)
FH (+13 food)
SM (+13 food)
PC (+3 food)
MC (-7 food)
BF (-32 food)
Pigs (-21 food)
Crabby (+8 food)
total -26 food in bins
1 fewer worker (-90 food/hammer)
1 extra settler (+149 food/hammer)
+59 food/hammer
ron's 4 extra pop could be converted to 180 hammers through whipping
Conclusion my latest test game vs. ron's latest test game
I'm up 6 hammer (assuming 4 of ron's pop could be whipped for 180 hammers)
I'm up 59 food/hammer since I produced a settler rather than a worker
I'm down 26 food stored in food bins
(but this is with 1 fewer turns, so my production on T150 amounts to...
+43 food/+22 raw hammers)
So with T150 production my latest test game is up 17 food in bins, 28 hammers, 59 food/hammers (extra settler vs. extra worker)
I have more infrastructure that I've whipped a bit earlier (so whip anger might decay a few turns earlier)
biggest difference is producing 1 more settler vs 1 more worker
(more cities busts more fog so less likely to get as many enemy galleys)
(more cities increases maintenance that isn't quite offset by trade route and tiles, but situation will improve quickly with currency (and somewhat soon whipped courthouses)
Ron has a research advantage at T151 of 8 sustainable / turn.
I hope this helps people decide what is the better option.
Personally my perspective is my latest test (aided by mabraham's optimization and the group's discussion on how to develop the smaller cities) has an edge on hammers and food and # of cities at a small cost of research. However I believe with the plans whips of courthouse in the next 40 turns, the planned pick up of currency in the next 40 turns, and the likely greater number of AI trade routes it is to our advantage to position ourselves with more cities settled as fast as possible up at least to the 8 in the test game. I believe it will have a long term benefit as well as the short term food/hammer benefits documented.