I like to put every setting to Random for every game (bar the AI smarts and numbers... more is better!), but the problem is that one of the victory conditions is heavily tied into the game settings. If tech rate is set to Very Fast, then there's really no point going for anything except a tech victory IMO (it's already the easiest way to beat the AI I find).

I'd like to see the entire research tree, or at least the final "pure victory" elements, seperated from the speed setting, so that victory down this path doesn't get any easier or harder. The settings don't help you gain a military, cultural or alliance victory, and nor should they help you gain an easy tech victory.