This is my first game. Now I'm trying to survive against the computer "expert."

I very unlucky?

My first city
http://s55.radikal.ru/i149/1209/f9/a0a2a25f34e2.png

5-2-1.. which means blue twirl? Science?

second
http://s003.radikal.ru/i203/1209/67/3cdd9c656e0e.png

third
http://s43.radikal.ru/i099/1209/1a/f8b41004970a.png

How much better to be my first city? Tell us as much detail.

I liked your question, CyanPile.  It could definitely trigger an interesting debate!   I do  NOT  consider myself an expert on the quality of Starting Locations; but I do think about them a lot, since I routinely generate a lot of them [  ctrl  N  ], when starting a new game.  So, I'd like to take a shot at analyzing your choices ...

In your first location, you have a 5-2-1.  The total is 8, but the 2 for resources is a real liability.  You will be crippled for early production, and one essence (which adds a little versatility, and could help you with production later in the game) is really not enough to overcome the low materials (production) potential.  The trick here, is that the 5 for grain (food) is such a high number.   It is seductive!  You can end up with a bigger city; but that takes a long time; and you will be suffering during the first quarter or third of the game.  On the plus side, you do have 3 goodie huts, and one recruitable champion, but that is only a little better than average, in that regard.

In the second location, you have another 5-2-1, but you also have a 5-3-0, and a 3-3-2.  All of these add to 8, but the 5-2-1 (in my opinion) is the worst choice, for the reasons I outlined above.  The 5-3-0 gives you improved material (production) but with no essence; so this is also a week choice.  Elemental: Fallen Enchantress is  all about magic, and having no essence in your first city is also pretty crippling.  Most E:FE fans seem to feel that essence is the most important of the three resources -- partly because it is the most versatile.  It can be used to improve either materials (production) or grains (food) over the course of a game, depending on which you need the most, at any particular time.  Actually, I think your 3-3-2 in the second location, is your best choice in this location.  3-3-2 has something (just enough) in each of the three categories, to be your best bet.   I only see one goodie hut here; and one enemy (empire) recruit here, I think.  You may be able to assassinate him, to help level-up your sovereign, or a champion; but with no recruits of your own (in sight), this is not a particularly good start.

In the third location, you have 4-3-2 (adds to 9!).  This is really one of the better starts that are possible in E:FE (version 0.952).  Some folks prefer a 3-4-2 (if you want to compare a total equaling 9); but either is pretty good.  (The near-by river will also help you in food production, in later stages of the game.)  Unfortunately, I could not detect any goodie huts, or recruitable champions in this location.  If that is correct, then that is really pretty poor, in that regard.  But you do have a close-by crystal shard, and one other type shard, so that should help your first city (and kingdom) to get off to a good start, in the realm of magic.  If magic is your game (your favorite aspect of this game), that is a serious plus ...

SO, ( drum-role, please ), of these choice, I would choose your third location, and go with the 4-3-2, as the first city site! 

BUT, I gotta say, if you ask this question of a hundred gamers and get their answers, you might get a dozen different choices.  A lot depends on the kind of game you like to play: magic versus infantry warfare; kingdom-builiding versus continuous warfare; easier versus harder game (some folks like to pick BAD starts, to face more of a challenge), etc.    I hope you get some more comments and input from other players.  Like I said:  Interesting Question !  ...       

in my experience in fe .95X (ie the essence versions) for a first city i usually try for 2 or MORE essence with 3 or more hammers and atleast 3 food,(yes a nine or higher total resource rating) and the preference is essence, then material, then food as some of the city spells give per essence so a city with 3 base essence(I usually find one or more of these locations each game, but I do NOT use the ctrl n)+ scrying pool (+1 essence) has not only four spells, BUT if you pick the spells that are per essence they are 2^4 or EIGHT times better that the same spell on a one essence city as each essence counts for one spell at four times the rate for four spells at four times the rate or SIXTEEN times the boost rate of four cities with one essence.

harpo

I usually play a custom female sov by the name of 'fro gal rar' that has all the spell types, procipinies crown, a hammer and the free hero hiring and she is from a custom race that gets the scrying pools archery and masterwork chain mail armour and warhorses, and in almost all games I finally win with a score of 18000+ and a rating of draginol(btw we NEED some HIGHER ratings than a mere 10,000)

harpo

The usual race that has these horses are the Kingdom of Capitar (the Mancers). There used to be a pre-made sovereign for this race, but now you have to make a custom sovereign to get this race now.

tried ctrn + N. never saw * - * 3. never saw * -5 - *. never saw the amount of tiles is greater than 9 points. stopped at 4-3-2 (+ air shard near (1 cell to the side). + Water Shard is almost near (4-5 cells). + river. + wood).
whether in existing cities to see the tile base? for example look at the tile insane AI. How much was he successfully picked foundation of the city itself

попробовал ctrn+N. ни разу не увидел *-*-3. ни разу не увидел *-5-*. ни разу не увидел сумму очков плитки больше 9. остановился на 4-3-2 (+ воздушный осколок рядом (1 клетка в сторону). + водный осколок почти рядом (4-5 клеток). + река. + лес).
можно ли у существующих городов посмотреть плитку основания? на пример посмотреть плитку у insane ИИ. на сколько же он удачно себе подобрал основание города