There's at least one feature from Civilization V that I would love to see in History Rewritten: Natural Wonders, such as the Great Barrier Reef, Mount Fuji, Old Faithful, and Uluru.
These unique features would be generated at the start of the game. They would be clearly visible on the world map, with signs posted above their tiles. They could provide bonus happiness to nearby cities, slightly higher tile yields than standard terrain, guaranteed access to certain rare resources, guaranteed access to a tribal village, or some combination thereof. Of course, no improvements could be built on top of Natural Wonders. And, under the Balanced Start option, no Natural Wonders would appear near the starting location of any civilization. (Or, alternatively, no Natural Wonders would appear at all.)
In general, Natural Wonders would reward early exploration and contribute towards a more immersive game experience.