Build with Purpose

As in life goals generate activity and consistent activity produces results. Its no different here, if you want to build something that stands the test of time and trials then you must build with purpose to do anything less is to squander your resources and frustrate your efforts.

Take What you Need

My Golden Rule has always been only Take what you can hold sometimes as in life you need to cut your losses and move on.
Choose your battles carefully, what ground are I willing to fight for and which cities are I willing to contest? Why do I want this particular city? Why expand into this particular quadrant of an ocean or into any ocean for that matter? Establish Clear Objectives and Well defined goals in others words Build with Purpose.

The Benefits of Specialization

Note: Specialization becomes available a little down the line generally your first city will have to be a jack of all trades as opposed to a master of anything but the rate some move this bares mention now.

Extreme Specialisation

What do I mean when I talk about extreme specialization?
Specialization is developing in this frame of reference a city to its maximum potential in regard to what you design it to do, in other words if its offensive then thats all it is cut back to the bone carrying no flab just plain mean ugly offensive!
Heres an example of what I call extreme specialization in regard to an offensive city:

Troop numbers:

1600 pop of offensive troops eg slingers 1,000 + Horsemen 200 + Light ships 50 + Fast Transports 100 Relevant Building stats attached to this type of offensive city: Barracks level 30 Wall level 25 Farm level 40 Tower and Thermal Baths

Research tree:

Phalanx - Trainer - Cartography - Battering Ram - Light Transport Boats - Bunks researched