HalfLotus suggest a conroversial option once you reach classical -- selling food instead of metal.

It's common to sell metal during Classical/Medieval ages, boosting wealth to fuel a boom (generally to GP). Metal isn’t needed in abundance early unless you plan an early attack, so this works quite well. Trouble is both players will do this, pushing the metal sell price very low. The solution? Sell your food.

That's a potential option, but I'd still prefer to sell metal, even at the reduced rate. Food is too valuable when booming, metal less so. when booming, I don't need metal until Classical and SCI3 (for the granary/lumber mill upgrade).

So, I sell metal to buy scholars to get faster SCI3. Food is needed to get workers on metal, get CIV2 and get that third city up.
posted by Tim at 10:58 AM