I think the bad named barbarians tribes, and the goody huts, are actually did in a good way, but is poorly representated to the understanding of the player.
I'll explain myself:
1) Barbarians, in story of the world, are "Other civilizations" out of your great empire.
This barbarians civs are, for example, any other civ in the game that denies to cooperate (diplo, commerce, vasall) and you finally destroy it... Or you are destroyed by them. (Easy comparation in real world; Viking, Incas, Celts....) In the other hand, In a Civ game, the barbarians itself are the minor civs that are too much powerless than you can conquist them by simple erasing a city or kill some units.
This way, Barbarians civs are represented In Civ game as: Enemy civilizations that you consider that they are Uncivilizated (low tech, agressive mood...), And as focused and little agressive and unique little civs (cities or units)
How to improve barbarians in the way they are in Civ? Giving a "minor civ name" for units and barbarians cities, don't calling them simply as "barbarians"
2) Goody huts: They are well representated in game, but with no deep.
When your civ founds a goody hut, really they're are first meeting a peacefully minor city that unifies with your empire, giving you soldiers (and the supposed minor population unificating with your cities, not considerable by population effects) or giving a Settler (you replace the location of their city)
How to improve goody huts in the way they are in Civ? Giving to every goody hut a "minor civ name", and when you meet the huts, you got a "event message" saying that you found a peacefull town and theyr people joins your civilization. Can be as the exact way in civ V (random tech/unit/settler/gold) or you can select the benefit in some random options
Well, this are some ideas ^^