All these changes made, -no wood needed for houses-...ect, will definitely not produce any imbalances between the civs. Obviously ES has thought of any inexpected problems.
Where a civ might loose in one area will gain in another.
The problem is that people think in terms of AOK and Greek style of play, and compare any changes with that. There is no good or bad or too much of an advantage for a civ. It all depends what strategy you follow. The Egypts may not need anything to build, so what? They will loose somewhere else.
The changes made, wont affect the average gamers unless they aim to fully use them.
All civs will play diferently, but will also play the same... As long as you just start the game and carefully expand and gather resourses, it will be the same with all three. You'll only use the military with the norse to build, the pharao and villies with the Egypts, and the horiates (villagers in greek) for the Greeks.
It's like the bonuses in AOK or even more in EE. All civs pretty much play the same unless you completely change your play with each civ, in order to use it. Also in Starcraft. You can follow the same play in all, but that way, wont use the diferent routes they provide.