Hello, I don't know if this is the good place for suggestion but haven't find any other place to do it so...
The scenario in wich all the city of a civ are founded at the start is great for later start, but feel a little too powerfull in ancient era. But in the same time, I don't like to abondon everything just to have nice borders.
So, the idea of this suggestion is to spawn every city at the start but instead of belonging to a civ, it was a Free City.
It would allow to start with one city and not be in the hurry to claim land, while adding more challenge (Free city attacks the player) and add a little bit of historicity (Most of the time, nations formed by invading neighboring city, not by founding them).