Paradigm shift in the standard metagame?

But it also makes it practically impossible for you to get Greece.

Its part of the Southern Hedgehog opening. Tri - Ven, Vie - Gal, Bud - Ser. It's the only set of moves that guarantee an Austrian build in 1901.

I personally thing Tri - Ven only works well in press games, when you clear it with Italy ahead of time. If Italy is holding in Venice anyway, he should be indifferent. And if you tell Italy you are doing Tri - Ven, he will be less likely to open north. I think its less effective in gunboat because it sends an incredibly negative signal to your best potential ally.

I think you are right about using it in gunboat...

But if it's such a clearly defensive move, why would Italy react as if it's an attack?

IT'S A TRAP

Well, I'm not sure if everyone sees it as a clearly defensive move. I think a nervous Italy could easily interpret as a signal from Austria to Turkey and Russia.

Italy would be unhappy in the least, not to mention that every austria who did that while i was in a game with them died... I don't think it is a good move.

If I was Italy and Austria did that.. I would probably attack him.

that is true...austria did that to me just now...and he's about to die..lol.

I think i know which game your talking about.

http://imgur.com/shzy6

Epic LOL!

cough..no you don't :)

I read it as a relatively standard Austrian defense against an Italian attack, ordinary prudence. Nothing kills Austria quicker than a hostile Italy in 1901. For some reason, there seem to be plenty of Italys that don't seem to realize attacking Austria right off the bat is essentially a surefire recipe for Turkish fleets surrounding the peninsula by 1904. Because the anti-Austrian opening is so common, whether it's Ven-Tri or Ven-Tyr, with Rom-Ven, as Austria, I have to be aware of this possibility. If Italy shows that it's not actively hostile to Austria, Austria can usually wind up in Greece in S1902 anyway.

While I don't see it as an italian attack unless Italy agreed to move out of Ven, I think its a silly opening because I want Gre and dont want Turkey to take it.

If I play as Italy, I won't attack Austria unless I'm provoked or Turkey has claimed Sevastopol. Before then, it's death to both sides. I've had people tell me of that move before to block the attack, but it does hurt your shot at Greece. It ensures a build though, as was said previously, and the best players can live with that and make it work.

Tru Ninja, I don't have a problem with Turkey taking Greece in 1901, so long as he doesn't get Bulgaria as well. Because as long as Italy is not attacking Austria, Greece then falls like a ripe plum into Austria's hands in S1902. If, as Austria, you are facing a hostile and cooperating Russian and Turkey, you're not going to hold Greece anyway, and you might as well hope Italy takes it. If you're facing a Turkey that's not on good terms with Russia, and you are at least mutually benignly neutral with Italy, you can take and hold Greece for as long as it takes for Russia or Italy to take either Aegean or Black Sea, and give Turkey reason to worry about their homeland.

this seems like a result of way too many gunboaters playing Italy from the point of view of desperation. Ive seen that stupid Venice->Tyrolia Rome->Venice crap way too many times as Austria. after a while you just sort of expect to get triple gang banged in a gunboat as Austria. Still perhaps the better move as suggested by O'Daly is to go Vienna-Tyrolia with Austria and camp Trieste in the Adriatic.