My usual settings are Shuffle or Fractal map script, Standard size, Prince or Monarch difficulty, Normal or Epic speed and Random leader.
I tend to found at least 6 cities (on Standard size) if I'm close to my neighbors. If I'm
really close to my neighbors, I'll make 3 or 4 cities and take theirs until I get tired of warring.
In the game I created that city, I got lucky and razed Shaka's capital with 3 Warriors against his Archer

lol

. From there I had plenty of room and built 11 cities. Then I got bored and annihilated JC, Monty and half of Victoria -- claiming another 15 cities or so. Two of my cities were flipped from Tokugawa.
In the end, the map had 56 cities (all of which I spread my Hindu-/Juda-/Confucianism to for the massive +

).
That game was rather atypical though. I usually found less and conquer more.