Italy doesn't seem to have many options early game
opening strongly against Austria with Russian support is one of the few things I've found works for me. not always, but with a fair amount of reliability. Italy and Austria going at it from the get go hurts seems to hurt Austria more than Italy.

It's never ended well for me as either side. Italy needs to neutralize the Turk threat before even considering any other target. Only if Turkey commits North early can Italy afford to attack Austria, but even then it does not end well. A Russian ally (as either Italy or Austria) is also necessary to even consider an attack.

Italy moving against Austria? That's what I lways do when I play Italy. Right now, some of those games (and this includes other sites) are good, some bad. I like playing it though because it gets you a good opening punch

ever heard of maybe going after France with the help of England or Germany. just saying because it is the on;y other real option for italy i have done both only problem with that is if france just sits in Marseilles

It's true that early conflict in this region initially effects Austria more than Italy... but come the mid-game Italy will normally find itself in trouble too. As the Turk is unlikely to have been subdued and Italy finds itself caught between Turkish and either England or French fleets.

I seen this weird game where all the battles in the first like 5 years took place in either france or the balkans.
it was a tugging match that got nowhere for a long time

I think that every time I've been Austria and I've allied with Italy I've been stabbed during the first 2 years.

Personally, I like a good Italy-Austria Alliance.
It really helps in the conquest of Turkey, and if you can get any other allegiances, the rest is elementary. I just hate the first few turns of such a game.

in the game I am currently playing, Italy and Austria both paid dearly by fighting each other

austria was kicked out, and italy will have a hard time working itself back to the top

I have never seen a game where Italy attacked France early and won. Sometimes they do ok, sometimes fail. What they always succeed in doing is making France lose, but never have I seen them win. It just takes way too long and the rewards aren't great enough. If you are certain Russia/Turkey are fighting, then attack Austria. This usually results in the best position. If Turkey and Russia try Juggernaut, then that means convincing Austria to let you have Greece in return for support into Bulg, and then moving in on Turkey.

Hm, With German help, Italy may be able to take France successfully.

i've been the frenchie on the recieving end of one of those attempts... it SUCKED, but it cost Germany and Italy more than me. holding Italy off at mars is easy. and once germany has committed to war in the west getting russia and england to waltz into his SCs became pretty simple

I like attacking Austria with Italy.
Start of with a Lepanto but convoy to Albania instead of Tunis while stabbing into Trieste.
or advance your armies between Austria and Germany and attack the weaker one.

Lepanto into Albania? That's absurd! You're using three units for something that should only take two. Not to mention how easy it is to bounce that move out.

I like your second option, though. I usually do that when I play Italy.

Hey wooooo I did at wooooo remember?

http://phpdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=8747
By the end of 03' I was able to take Spa and Mar.
The Moves
A Ven-Pie
A Apu-Ven
F Tun-Wes
F Nap-Tys
Try it. It works.

Only because both England and Germany attacked France as well. And you didn't win that game.

:P BUt, you said you never saw any Italy do GOOD on an early attack on France. I had a good winning chance too.
You point out a good point. If you are aiming for defeating, France enlist help.

"Sometimes they do ok, sometimes fail." Getting to 10 SCs classifies as good in my book.

i quite like working with italy as austria or vice versa, and i think a lot can be accomplished that way. but of course each situation presents itself differently. if the other power is un-communicative, acts in random ways, or whatever, it's quite hard to maintain the trust needed for that alliance.