I believe more thought should go into the gold’s graphical appearance. I believe it should sparkle and look more appealing to the eye. So, when I am exploring the map and I discover gold located close to my enemy’s territory, the gold must almost scream “Take me! You MUST have me!” It should be hypnotic, in a sense.
Currently, it appears to just be a new simple skin that covers the old AOE II HD gold. And from what I’ve seen, sometimes it almost blends in with the terrain so that you just might overlook it.
Also, consider doing something with the stones appearance. Maybe it should look more beautiful and SLIGHTLY sparkle, also. Maybe the textures for the piles of gold/stone should also be more dynamic so that each block of gold & stone looks just a little different.
Overall, gold is a big deal in AOE, and dramatically affects the outcome of most games. These effects should also be realized in the physical appearance of it.
~Jonathan Acinity