Every time I've played Civ 4 my first Settler starts on what looks like a pretty good square for a city, and I build it turn 1. Has anyone ever found it to be a worthwhile strategy to scout around a bit to see if there is a better location? If so how often is there one nearby?
Civilization – Is it ever worth moving your first Settler
civilization-4
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Best Answer
So the map usually places you in a decent spot (ie. near good resources), but you can actually disable this option.
If you disable spawning near resources then the answer becomes very obvious. However, even in the case where you do spawn near good resources I always move my scout/warrior first to see if there are better resources I might want. I usually prefer growth based resources over military ones (ie horses) or commerce based ones.
In FFH2 (a mod for Civ4) you frequently start in "bad" locations, and I almost always move to a better location. Normally, I don't want my first city near Mana, as it doesn't help a ton to get up and running (when I have the option of other resources, obviously Mana is better than nothing), but I don't want someone else to steal it.
Another thing to consider is the size of your map. On smaller maps, moving your Settler is punished by running into other Civilizations. On larger maps, you usually have tons of room to look around and expand.
My take home might be: usually, just found your city where you start, but always make sure to move your Warrior/Scout first, just in case.