iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

When you find a nice spot to build Hale o Keawe next to the Valley of Flowers in Civ7, but then you think "actually, fuck those flowers" and you let the sparks fly.

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Limpid? Civ7? Oof, I don’t think I want to try EL II then.

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

In a Civ 7 Q&A session on the upcoming Arc of Tomorrow and Earthrise expansions, this answer made me the most excited. Currently, the game turns into a visual mess halfway through the exploration age, and it needs these reforestation and green-space improvements to clean up the clutter.

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Sure, I'll take a +475 yield Ulema please and thank you.

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Base case scenario for the Kirimāḫu, surrounded by districts in a city that I haven't yet been able to replace with a wonder. My beautiful mid little Kirimāḫu.

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Is Civ 7 an aesthetically beautiful game? Yes, absolutely! And also, uh - no.

Civ 7 in-game screenshot featuring a small town on the coast surrounded by desert mountains, fishing boats, and ocean.

Civ 7 in-game screenshot featuring three cities whose urban sprawl has merged into a gray blob.

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Let's play a game called Find the Great Work, featuring Civ6 and Civ7.

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

From Joan Samson’s wonderful “The Auctioneer.”

Quote from Joan Samson’s “The Auctioneer”: “Just remember this. Whatever I’ve done, you’ve let me do.”

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Funniest tweet, baseball category.

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

My old ass trying to keep up with whatever nonsense we’re using AI for now.

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

With Civ7 planning to lay the hammer down on oversettling in the Test of Time update, I decided to get in one last crazy/fun Isabella game to see how many settlements I could reach and how much gold I could bank.

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

In #Civ7, a tornado strikes my mine tile and somehow finds a pair of cows(?) inside and lifts them swirling heavenward. It's possible they'd escaped from the nearby abattoir and were hiding underground when they were abruptly Final Destinationed.

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Honestly the introduction of Rey on Jakku - creeping inside a Star Destoyer, sliding down a dune, and wearing an old Rebel helmet, complete with John Williams’ wonderful Rey Theme - had me hooked.

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

Of all the Civ 7 victories, Culture was hit the hardest in the new iteration, but its victory video is the most satisfying. After conquering the world with our culture, let's simply relax on a balcony with some bread and wine and bask in the joie de vivre.

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

The shackles of gravity are broken on turn 80. I'm not setting any records, but I'm proud of it, especially as someone who doesn't play much Deity. Interesting challenge that's a different style than the normal wide meta, and much quicker to play. /End

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

One of my favorite views of my capital, a couple of monasteries in the hills with the Valley of Flowers out of reach in the distance. I do wish the standard game would let me get closer to the detailed city art. /27

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Here's my OCC city near the end of the Modern Age. I found a cute spot on the coast to buy my Launch Pad with gold, and I'm working on my Crewed Space Flight to end the game. /26

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

"So hey Augustus, what's going on down there?" - I clenched up for a few turns, but luckily they were just passing through. /25

Civ 7 city screen, French tanks approach

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

This narrative event can give you 1000 culture, and happens as Qajar when you have 3 alliances. If you can do this right at the start of the Modern Age, it can cut the time to get to Waqāye’-e Ettefāqiya in half. Alas, it's taken me 47 turns to convince Pachacuti that I'm all that bad. /24

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Turn 44 and my OCC capital is at 1000 science per turn. Just grinding through the tech tree now. /23

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Only science and gold matters now, so I switch to building Research Initiatives (25% of my production becoming science) to get to Aerodynamics and Rocketry faster. /22

Civ 7 city queue with research initiatives

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Uh oh. I reject this denouncement from Ibn Battuta, who's right on my northern border. I'll buy a few more units to make me feel better, though if anybody really wanted to take me out, they probably could. I do get combat bonus from being under the settlement limit, but I doubt it'd be enough. /21

Civ 7 diplomacy screen, rejecting a denouncement from Ibn Battuta

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

I'll take Rare Metals from this friendly city-state, giving me 10% science in my only city. Nice. Every city-state I get annoys an opponent, so I have to choose prudently to stay out of war, but Rare Metals is worth it. /20

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

...587 science just 3 turns later. You can see my yields compared to the AI. I'm now leading in science and am competitive in culture (though they will soon zoom ahead). Hopefully nobody notices me and sends troops against my undefended city. It's kind of a greedy play: fingers crossed. /19

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

I unlock Twelve Gates (ironic because my city has no walls), and therefore access to Waqāye’-e Ettefāqiya on turn 12. This is a huge boost to my yields, taking my science from 397 to... /18

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Giving me two free techs, Oxford is always great, but especially so in this OCC/science game. Just make sure you finish that cheap mastery at the beginning of the tree before completing Oxford. Get your money's worth. /17

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

I need to unlock Twelve Gates as soon as possible, so I'm starting with Culture Festivals (turning my production into culture), at least until I unlock my first wonder, which will be... /16

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Qajar Iran is built to play tall or OCC. Twelve Gates and its mastery give you +10 science, culture, food, and production for every settlement under the limit. I start this age at 1 of 16, so once unlocked it'll give me +150 of each of those yields. And as always, the art of Civ 7 is marvelous. /15

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Here's my city at the end of the Exploration Age. Yields are at least competitive. Abbasid is a strong science civ, and the Ulema has given an extra science on all specialists in my city. Soon... I will be Qajar. /14

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Another angle of my capital, a mix of Abbasid domes and minarets and the Mayan red stone pyramids. Civ 7 cities are more beautiful when you take a moment to zoom in to see the details. /13

Civ 7 city featuring an Ulema, Uwaybil K'uh, and Hanging Gardens

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Monasteries and Stone Heads on my rural tiles to help sci/cul at the start of the modern age. Serpent Mound would've been amazing, but alas I have no grassland. I nailed the Enlightenment Golden Age, the only legacy path realistically available to me with only one settlement in Exploration. /12

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

My city at the end of Antiquity. Decent enough yields, and two legacy path points in both culture and science heading into Exploration is about all I can ask for with only one city. /11

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

I'm no doctor, but I think this isn't good. Please stay home and avoid large crowds. /10

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

I've now had time to build the Great Stele (next to both the Uwaybil K'uh and the future Ulema) and Colossus (next to the library and market/garden), so I've reached my goal of 4. My culture still lags though, so I make time for the Pyramid of the Sun to help culture on my quarters even more. /9

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

I'm keeping a good number of rural tropical tiles for later, so Mundo Perdido is an obvious choice here. If I can build 4 wonders, I can get 2 important culture points. I've always loved this wonder movie, with the resplendent birds squawking as they circle the pyramid. Listen. So cool. /8

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

I plan to play pacifist since I can't afford much military early on, so I use my first (and only) commander promotion on Zeal. This will give me +5% yields in this city for doing nothing but just standing there, showing zealous leadership on my Saw Pit. /7

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

The Expansionist point doesn't help me (oooh, cheaper settlers!) but I crave that +10% growth rate, and it adds adjacency to four of my prime quarters. What a lovely spot for these Hanging Gardens, sprouting from the wild coastal jungle like a tower out of Eden, a paradise of water and stone. /6

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Expansionist city-states give me migrants when they become friendly, which I then use to work more rural tiles. I want to expand my borders as maximally as I can in Antiquity, so I can focus Exploration Age growth into specialists. /5

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Being able to support endeavors for free as Himiko (Queen of Wa) is wonderful. I never have to worry about it, just always support it. That also helps with my diplomatic relations, critically important since I'm playing as pacifist as possible. /4

Civ 7 diplomacy screen with Himiko and Augustus

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Using map tacks to plan my districts (a must-have mod to plan your cities). A good spot for a Market/Garden on the coast, a culture district against two mountains, and two +2 science/production districts. Will focus wonders around my Uwaybil K'uh and a future Ulema, if possible. /3

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

The Garuda Statue memento will give me +1 pop for every celebration. I won't have a lot of celebrations, but each one will help my capital grow. I'm prioritizing science over culture, so a culture memento will help unlocking wonders and settlement limit (which will come in handy later). /2

Civ 7 screen, picking mementos Garuda Statue and Shakokidogu.

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Ryan Mallady @ryanmallady.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

OK, I'll make a thread about my One City Challenge in Civ 7. I don't usually play Deity, and an OCC is hard enough, so I'm making it as easy as possible by starting Himiko/Maya, then finishing Abbasid-Qajar for great specialists. Not too many mountains and a few water tiles, and almost all Tropical.

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