Why does Italy go NMR so often??

[noumenal]

I've noticed this a lot with online games. I have about 5 games going simultaneously on WebDip right now, and in three of them Italy has gone NMR in 1901 and/or replaced with another player. With other platforms like Backstabbr it's even worse.

Do players really hate playing Italy that much? I have not seen this pattern with any other country (distant second in my experience would be Russia).

I actually enjoy playing Italy - it's a nice challenge, you have to pretty much fight for every SC outside Tunis and be in constant communication with 3 neighbors, like Austria but without sitting on the powder keg that is the Balkans.

(Other thing I noticed, slightly off-topic: Why is Austria always assigned to players who seem to never know what they are doing and get wiped out by like 1904?)

[Randomizer]

There are lots of players that hate Italy just because its position means its hard to get SCs without good alliances. Even then eventually France and/or Turkey need to go through Italy to do well in the game. It's hard to play well compared to other countries that you can play without an alliance like England, France, or Russia where you can wait and see for a few years.

Austria suffers from trying to ally with countries where Turkey usually expands through it, Italy usually goes east through it, and Russia expands west through it as easier. You need to be experienced to hold especially when Russia and Turkey ally and divide you up.

[mhsmith0]

Fwiw i think austria even in hands of competent players is easy to kill early in a LOT of games.

Italy being unpopular isnt surprising but I quite enjoy playing italy, it’s such a fun challenge as you have so many different options fir alliances and growth!

[Claesar]

I think it's variance.