Thanks for the feedback.
My own Long game has just reached Classical Era and I'm dead last in the rankings on Immortal, C2C_World Map, start everywhere, low sea, with 7 AI. The Lead Civ has 23 cities (and is almost half way thru the Classical era), while all my neighbors (3) and I are at 17. I just caught up to them as they all 3 were leading me at one point by 5-6 cities. And I finally got Iron too!
The change from the default Currency starting Civic to Metals removes a starting -10% Gold malus (if I'm reading my notes roght). City States gives a + Gold (10%)% from the Num Cities Maint Mod. So the 2 come about very close together and gives a boost to gold during the Early Ancient at a time when it is needed. Though not near as big a boost as it was previously. You still have to budget well. And getting a new city out of the Negative Education "well/hole" along with curbing climbing Crime and Disease means you have to pay more attention to them as well.
As I progress thru Classical I will see if the changes made mutes the sudden burst of Gold, that DH always complained about, during the late Classical. Part of DH's problem is self made in that in his Noble Diff games he is Always hoggin' all the WW's by that time. That in and of itself the diff level played and having most WWs will throw the gold balance out the window.