@Dafyd:
Just a suggestion but as I have seen discussed in other subject lines, what if Italy received more of a naval presence…a sub and destroyer at the mouth of the Med. perhaps. To balance it, give the Soviets a small naval presence in the Pacific. A sub, destroyer, mayber even a cruiser right above sea zone 6. This would give the allies a little more in the pacific and rather deminesh a players resources, just add a little to the opponent. Italy’s navy getting destroyed in the Toranto raid is what makes Italy such a bear to play. Like IWillNeverGrowUp said, I have seen Italy go nuts before with the right player and the allies looking else where.
Balancing Italian ships with Soviet ships (on the other side of the board) is not really doing any balancing in my opinion. These Soviet units may never see meaningful combat and would probably be sunk, without injury, by Japan before they got out of the Pacific. Even if they did break out of the Pacific it would be at least 3 or 4 Turns before they could get to the Mediterranean or the Atlantic. It would equate to free ships/other units for Italy with nothing to balance it on the European side of the map. (Remember that the USSR and Japan are not at war until one of them says so, so these ships are at least temporarily neutral for all intents and purposes.)
Maybe it is a little cynical of me, but what would be the repercussions of making Italy more powerful? If the reasoning is just so player 6 is a bit more interested in the game, then I think you will be sacrificing a lot of historical accuracy and game balance just to make Italy more ‘fun’. The reason Italy was never a playable Power in the earlier and smaller versions of A&A is because it isn’t on the level of the Big 5. Same for Anzac and China… they are just lighter versions of Italy. IMO the real problem is thinking that Italy should have more stuff or be more powerful than they actually were. I agree that it would be nice to construct your own little Mediterranean Empire with them, but it is difficult to do in the game because it was also difficult in real life.
I have been involved in a recent discussion along the same lines about France. The ‘logic’ went something like: they would never have been included as a playable Power if there was no chance they could ever be played/if they couldn’t actually do something. Then came the reasons why income and turn order should be changed just so Player X (who only plays France) has stuff to do. Ludicrous. IMHO
A sidebar… but I don’t know who in their right mind wants to or would bother playing just France or just Anzac or just China. Doesn’t make sense to me.
I do, on the other hand enjoy playing Italy. It is simple, contained and relaxing. Your brain doesn’t hurt in the process.