I like to create worlds using the random settings. I just find it more interesting in games of this type. I have noticed that it seems to prefer large continents though. Since I find large oceans with smaller land masses more (pretty?) interesting, I have had the setting for land mass at 30%. Using this and varying continent #, I have gotten some screwy results. A couple times I got 1 large land mass and very little water. Some times large land masses with a lot of lakes. One hex lakes were real common. Maybe having a setting to differentiate oceans and lakes could help spread things out?

A related note. A couple of times I ended up on a peninsula that was blocked at the end (mountains once and a natural wonder once). Playing those out showed that it was an irrecoverable position as unit transport is real deep in the tree. Being on a singular island would amount to the same issue. If scouts (only and for short time or just coastal) were aloud to embark once fishing was learned that would help. Even a researched mountain climbing perk for them could be of use. This would also make scouts a unit you may want to delay upgrading for a while like the one agricultural civ that has the unit with no movement penalties through woods.