Civ V Recommended Mods List

Enhanced User Interface: Pretty much a must have mod, makes the UI much more accessible and better looking than it is in the vanilla game. Works with multiplayer.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=512263

Info Addict: Makes you able to see tons of information with one button. It's features are listed on its page. Should be compatible with EUI.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=391069

 Mods for Making the Civs Unique
3rd and 4th Uniques: Adds every civ 3rd and 4th unique unit/building/improvement, makes them feel more different. The new uniques actually make sense and aren't just random.
>Doesn't it fuck up the balance?
Civ V isn't balanced in the first place, this mod actually makes it more balanced. Now shit civs like Iroq or Byzantine can actually be competitive
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=543428

Civ Names by Policies: This mod changes the name of civilizations based on their religion, their policies, their ideologies, size of them and the number of their vassals/puppets. So you'll see names like German Catholic Order, Mayan Islamic State instead of the default ... Empire
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=163582857

Ethnic Units: Pretty self explanatory, makes it so units from different civs actually look like they belong to that civ. Not culture based but civ based, so even a French Knight and a English knight will look different. There are screenshots in its page. Unlike R.E.D., it doesn't touch the unit sizes
>Compability with R.E.D.?
I'm not sure which one has more skins and if are they compatible or not. Some other anon or I have to test it and edit this section later.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=91830423

Historical Religions: Adds tons of religion icons and names, doesn't do anything except for that. Still, pretty immersive as you see AI Celts found Druidism, or Scandinavian civs founding Forn Sidr or Aztecs founding Tlateomatili and not the retarded religions they would found in the vanilla game. Compatible with most mod civs
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=478532

JFD's Cultural Diversity: Makes civs feel even more different, gives them their unique starting bonus, soundtrack, era splash screens, embarkation graphics, events and decisions(if you also have the Sukritact's Events and Decisions mod). Also if you remember the unit dialogue from Civ IV, it is added back in. The best part about this mod is its soundtrack IMO, really makes the game feel less repetitive. If you're thinking of trying this one, play Babylon at least once. IIRC they gave them more unique songs than others and they're all pretty good.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=521664

R.E.D. Modpack: Makes the units look different based on their culture and shrinks them so you don't have soldiers that are as big as your cities. Also increases the soldiers in one unit so it doesn't look weird as they're much smaller. This mod is purely cosmetics, doesn't change anything related to gameplay.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=383375
R.E.D. Extreme: Makes the units even smaller and increases their numbers, an add-on to R.E.D. Modpack
http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=20803
>But units are too small now, I can't see the details in them!
Go to your Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\config.ini and edit the Minimum Zoom Level to 4, now you should be able to zoom enough to see any detail you want in the map.

Unique Cultural Influence: When you become influential on other civs, their responses will depend on your culture so you won't get the classic "Blue jeans and pop music" as every civilization. When becoming influental as India, they'll mention yoga and Bollywood, or when becoming influental as Japan, they'll mention anime, etc. If you don't like some of the things they mention, you can change it in the files easily.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=543132

 Mods for Improving City States
City State Diplomacy Mod: Improves the city state relationship system, now you won't be simply buying them with your money. Now you'll use the new added units, quests to increase your relationship with them. Also enhances the world congress a lot by adding new resolutions and changing some of them. AI is fully capable of using everything added in this mod. This mod is incompatible with many mods, use it in your own risk.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=392543

Minor Civs: Makes it so city states can also settle new cities of maximum two. I use it because it makes city states more important and there're less unclaimed lands at the end game
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=81352527

 Misc. Mods
Bigger Empires (with easy edit):Makes expanding via culture faster and decreases the cost of buying tiles a little. Use it if the unclaimed land always annoys you. A very editable mod:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=447691067

Buildings - Upgrade System: Allows you to upgrade your buildings, balanced somehow as upgrades have maintenance too.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=82858440

Civ IV Diplomacy Features Mod: Brings back missing diplomacy features from Civ IV like technology or map sharing, vassalizing. AI also knows what it's doing in this mod. Said to be not compatible with other mods and make the game crash a lot, but I never had any problems with it. Still, use it with caution.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=494538

Great Admiral Aquaculture: You can now use your great admirals to create fish tiles on the sea. Doesn't make any sense but because of AIs stupidity at naval wars, you won't ever need great admirals anyway. Gives them an actual use.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=243508419

Improvement Upgrades: Adds more improvements to the game, there's a list in its page
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=87662377

Ocean Cities: With this mod you can settle cities on sea when you enter the Modern Era. Those cities get more food and gold from sea tiles and build better ships.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=321319743

Promotions - Expansion Pack: Adds shitload of promotions and makes combat much more interesting.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=84863495

Sukritact's Events and Decisions: Adds events and decision system you most likely remember from Paradox Games. Many modded civs have their unique events and decisions if you use them with this mod.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=528549

Race for Religion: Completely changes all religion beliefs and pantheons. A good mod if you simply get tired of the vanilla religions. Made by the same dude that made Reform and Rule.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=510231

Reform and Rule: Completely changes social policies and ideologies. Now instead of going tradition everytime because of how op it is, you can choose any tree you want. Even piety or honor are valiable.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=512565

R.E.D. - Smaller Landmarks: Shrinks resources, features, and improvements.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=212814709

Randomize City Names: Self explanatory. Randomizes city names within a civilization's list for every city except the capital. Also affects modded civilizations.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=98460355

Separate Great People Counters: Makes it so when you create a great merchant, scientist or engineer the cost of other two don't increase. Now you won't have to skip wonders or policies that give great merchant points because it delays scientists.
forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=13412088

Trading Posts Grow into Towns: Makes trading posts grow into towns with time, depending on the tile they're build on. They also some of the tile's yield to support themselves
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=317297250

Workable Mountains: Makes it so mountain tiles are not completely useless anymore. Some buildings and wonders give them yields so you can actually work them in a city. Note: you still can't build improvements over them with a worker
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=522546