Maybe I'm only debating with my self here.. but I got a couple points.
I really want to finish that farm before we start on the cows.
That will enable us to work the second cow faster, and eventually the second gold faster. How much quicker will we grow? Is there a timing here? 1 turn faster? 2 turns faster?
By finishing the farm 1 turn. we get 4 extra food. (the tile will be worked for 4 turns) and we will lose out on 3 hammers. and 8 commerce (assuming we will work the lake if we don't work the farm instead)
I think we will grow to 4 pop 2 turns faster by finishing the farm. So definitely worth it IMO.
We will lose some commerce but that will be quickly corrected when we work the second gold 2-3-4 turns faster. That makes me thinking....
Worker route alternatives:
Alternative 0 (Fastest gold/slow stone) and slow growth
Work the Farm, (1) gold (6), road farm SW of cap (1), Cow(4), Cow (4), road farm SW of cap (1), Road Cow (2), road stone (3), stone (6).
That will enable us to work second gold in 7 turns. The fast detour will lose us about 8 turns of 100 % hammer yield to Pyramids: 9h (ca. calculated base production) * 100 % * 8/2 = 48 hammers. about 4-5 turns slower build. We will also grow really slow, and makes AH a kind of wasted 2nd tech...
Alternative 1 (Fast gold/slow stone).
Work the Farm, (1) Cow (4), gold (6), road farm SW of cap (1), Cow(4), road farm SW of cap (1), Road Cow (2), road stone (3), stone (6)
That will enable us to work second gold in 11 turns. The fast detour will lose us about 8 turns of 100 % hammer yield to Pyramids: 12h (ca. calculated base production) * 100 % * 8/2 = 48 hammers. about 3-4 turns slower build
Alternative 2 (Medium gold/medium stone)
Worker route, Farm, (1) Cow (4), Cow(4), road farm SW of cap (2), gold (5), Road Cow (3), road stone (3), stone (6)
We can start to work the second gold in 17 turns. The gold detour will lose us about 6 turns of 100 % hammer yield to Pyramids: 12h (ca. calculated base production) * 100 % * 6 = 36 hammers. About 2-3 turns slower build
Alternative 3 (slow gold/ fast stone)
Worker route, Farm, (1) Cow (4), Cow(4), road farm SW of cap (2), Road Cow (2), road stone (3), stone (6), gold (6),
Fastest mids but we only start working the gold in 30 turns !!
Ofc. there is some other calculations about working the extra gold will slow growth down. (but here i think we can micro to get important techs/grow in a good way. Maybe my math is off one some points so please correct/review me
Maybe can squeeze in the oracle? (CoL and GPP) That is only 2 quick techs away since we are starting with myst. At what time can we start building the oracle, if we went that route?
Oracle:
TW 6 turns?, Masonry 5- 7* turns, meditation (3-5*) /priesthood (2-4*). that's in 16 - 22 turns. Starting the oracle @ t 45 - 51.
*depending on if we go for worker route Alt. 0. 1. 2 or 3.
The oracle rout will delay granary, library, the pyramids. But the sweet satisfaction on switching in to rep/caste being a PHI leader will give us some fast settled GP's/acadamy/math/Pilo bulb (?)
To the barrack discussion I'm all on board,maybe 1 more warrior to the North first? And remember to start the mids for 1 turn when we get the masonry tech.