After fiddling around with some always war games, I took a look back at this. The capital could have ended up a rather productive place for a long stay in despotism, which ends up something likely to happen on the highest levels without always war. Basically, the capital could have produced ten shields growing to size 5 and to size 7, for a 10 turn settler-military production combo factory. You only need 4 bonus production squares for this and one forest that you can keep around. The build order can be something like the following:
Starting from growing from size 4 to 5, an archer. One archer at size 5. Another archer growing from size 5 to 6. Another archer at size 6. Then a settler, for 4 archers and a settler (or some spears thrown in there). Then starting at size five, 2 archers. An archer which starts size 5. Then a settler (which puts the city back at size 4 ready to grow in one turn for another 10 shields on the way). So, that's 7 archers/spears/catapults and 2 settlers in 21 turns.
I think later combinations might work out by doing something like two swordsmen/horseman, a catapult, a settler, and a swordsman/horseman, two catapults, and a second settler, for three swordsmen/horsemen, three catapults, and a settler in 21 turns.
Looking back also, start three could have produced 10 shields per turn at size 5 out of despotism with 3 extra food per turn. That makes for 3 turn growth with a granary and emphasize production on, still getting 10 shields every turn. That's a simple 6 turn swordsmen/horsemen-settler factory combo.
