I don't know, I found Venice too much of a gimmick civ. Played them once, and pretty much saw them getting wiped out early in every deity game. I actually consider quite a few cVI civs to be quite crazy compared to cIV at least. If they won't work in MP and the AI can't handle them, I'm not really interested.
I guess I prefer smaller bonuses that are easier to balance, but I do think the amount of uniques in cVI is very exciting, rather than the amplitude of each bonus.
Venice was a little too crazy but a great addition for a 2nd expansion.
There could be more crazy types of civs that could be nuts without being horrible for the AI.
I could see more workable crazy civs.
Peaceful Democracy civ- Cannot decare war. Can only declare Joint War or be declared on.
Civ 5 Civ- Has global happiness (Unhappiness for total population. Amenities spread to all cities)
Uncultured Slobs: Can't build Theatre Square. Units grant culture and Great Writer/Artist/Musician from battle.