I have, they were one of my most successful civs prior to the patch. After the patch I played a couple times, but the scholar research time bug plus a couple important techs (and many less important) having bugged timers I gave up.
In particular I should be getting piety + Sactity by like 6 minutes but bugs make Sanctity take until around 9 and Piety has an 11 minute research time instead of 2 minute.
After I noticed scholars weren’t reducing research times as much as they are supposed to plus the honed blades tech taking triple what it’s supposed to I gave up.
Not to mention the important wheelbarrow and hardened spearman upgrades which should come in very early are also bugged to take way to long.
Scholars might not be free, but having 6 scholars is supposed to reduce castle research times to pretty close to normal civs, and that’s only like 400 gold and 200 wood while other civs are spending ~400 resources per tech.