Is there a mod that removes the free techs from AI's at harder levels?

And replaces it with a say 25% more beakers per turn that carries on throughout the game? I feel that this will fix a lot of the issues on harder difficulties, of not being to build early wonders (not that I 'want' to, but I would like to have that option open) and the AI will scale better throughout the game. So, I'm not the last civ to classical era, and the first civ to Renaissance and entering information era before half of the civs get into the industrial era.

Like it could be:

King - 15% bonus in tech throughout empire/game

Emperor - 40% bonus in tech throughout empire/game

Immortal - 70% bonus in tech throughout empire/game

Deity - 120% bonus in tech throughout empire/game

Is there a mod that does something like this? Surely this has been thought of before. Thanks.

This mod has AI with no bonus techs
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=504220

Edit: That one included SMART-AI mod by Ninakoru

Combine that one with any of the Smarter AI mods, and you'll find yourself on a more even playing ground. The Deity AI still gets a 2nd city, needs less hammers/faith for stuff etc etc, and will therefore be quite challenging with that combination.

why can't they just have an ai that is simply better the higher level you play, rather than giving it arbitrary bonuses?

Because nobody likes Skynet

revelation216 said:

why can't they just have an ai that is simply better the higher level you play, rather than giving it arbitrary bonuses?

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unwillingness to spend the money to get it right. Before people jump the gun and say, "Oh, well it would be impossible to get the AI to be really good and the developer is really limited" I have yet to play a game that actually had an AI so proficient that a mod was not created to fix it. These modders work for free technically and don't have anywhere near the budget of the company of the game.

Also, that would be cheating out the people that want to play at the lower levels of play by giving them a faultier AI.

what is the point of moving up to a harder level If you want a bonus for science.

winnsanity said:

what is the point of moving up to a harder level If you want a bonus for science.

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He is saying he thinks giving the AI a beaker discount per tech would be more balanced than giving them free starting techs. Not giving himself anything. It would also fix the fact that Deity+free techs = "impossible early wonders" which kinda sucks. You shouldn't be building much of them anyway, but it rubs a lot of people wrong that you can't even try.

I think the idea is fine. The AI already gets tech discount so a mod for this would simply tool in a new discount percentage. The current amount is 15%. Should be easy to change in the dll's.

Note: I've noticed the AI has no free tech if you start in a later era. The free techs are only specific ancient ones. So if you skip the ancient and start in the classical, you get Deity AI with all other bonuses but tech parity even without mods. Just a thought. You might try it if you want--the ancient era is kinda slow anyway. In my experience you get an accelerated early-game as libraries, granaries, and other infrastructure buildings are available to build immediately. Note, this removes the Deity AI's main advantages though: the fact that they get infrasctructure and other things that snowball earlier. the free workers are good, but stealable. The early city is good, but you can only build a few early anyway, so it's not like this restricts you unless you're playing a really crowded map. Usually you can still get 4 good ones for yourself.

revelation216 said:

why can't they just have an ai that is simply better the higher level you play, rather than giving it arbitrary bonuses?

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Because given some of the basic failures, if they had come up with smarter behavior, they'd have applied it to all difficulty levels.

Also, the base Civ V game is highly flavor driven. Some flavor combos don't work well at all even on Prince and so that default handicap gives all AIs a handicap in that area, weather or not that particular combo needs that.
(In addition, some flavors don't work well in specific situations, a low army flavor works well with peaceful neighbors, it falls apart if the Zulu are next to them. By contrast, a high army flavor works well with a neighbor, but doesn't work at all if given an isolated start.

For that matter, the mods I see with Smarter AI also apply everything to all difficulty levels. The link I mentioned though does try to limit the buffs to AIs in situations that they need it instead of giving it to everybody.

Maybe you can just modify the xml files yourself. There is an entry for free techs:
http://modiki.civfanatics.com/index.php/CIV5HandicapInfos#HandicapInfo_AIFreeTechs

Also civ5handicapinfos.xml seems to have ResearchPercent key.

fallout3dc said:

Is there a mod that removes the free techs from AI's at harder levels and replaces it with a say 25% more beakers per turn that carries on throughout the game?

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You want Feudal Ranks.

I've been using it since the first day I started using mods. It is fantastic, balanced and challenging.