I agree - Central Triple is powerful.

There's also the famous Triple Alliance of Turkey, Austria, and Italy; this one screams METAGAMERS.

Western triple cant realy go on for more than one year. Two of the nations would than stab the other one.

I am in a game where the A/G/I combo is working really well, much to my delight. ;-)

I-A-G is the axis powers (from world war 2)
T-A-G is the central powers (from world war 1)

both work fairly well.
The western triple (F-E-G) has difficulties as england is trapped in the corner, and quickly reachs StP from where it is difficult to advance, (without german help) or south into the med - running into to difficulties in either case.

F-E-R on the other hand should allow France to become a land based power and (giving up perhaps Spain and portugal) allow england be the main naval power in the med - i haven't seen it work but i imagine it should (if Russia can handle the southern powers)

I recently participated in an Austrian, Russian, French alliance. I was Russia and due to some dumb moves on my part was actually the junior power to Austria. France also was taken out almost completely by England and Germany and basically kamikazied the English isles. Would it work in a normal game? I don't know, but it got me and Austria a draw with 17 sc's each :D

I want to see a game of T/A/I vs. F/G, vs. R/E. That would be the funniest game ever...

Really? Surely TAI would win easily unless FGRE managed to work themselves together. If you get together the players and agree who gets which nation (if that matters to you) I don't mind shuffling you around into the correct nations, although I'm likely to be away next week (not this one just starting, one after)

TAI has a major weakness or two, mainly not having a home supply centre beyond the north-south stalemate (Russia can build fleets in both the med and atlantic, and so can france) but in any case i can see TAI easily being held to a stalemate - this is assuming that who is allied to whom i known to begin with, which sounds like it was rlumley's idea (correct me if i'm wrong)

With TAI austria seems to come out the loser in that one because if things aren't working as planned austria often gets sandwhiched, especially because of the whole fleet thing where turkey and italy can easily rule the Med seas austria can't.

denis: I've never heard "about a middle alliance France Germany and Russia". Where could have that one come from? Too bad nobody commented on it.

The official suggestions for three players: "Three Players: One player controls England/Germany/Austria; the second, Russia/Italy; and the third, France/Turkey."

what about E/R/I - that seems like a pretty good combo. i've been in a couple odd triples before - like a Turko-Austrian alliance that ended up working with England for the three way draw. it took a lot of trust and almost every turn i was convinced MarekP (Austria) was going to stab me (Turkey).

Germany France and Turkey could be an interesting combination. maybe perfect to counteract R/I/E? Austria could certainly help tip the balance one way or the other...

what about a game with set alliances where certain powers could only build fleets and others could only build armies? that'd be funny.

France England & Russia vs Turkey Germany and Austria then Italy gets to choose after year 1 but he is able to talk to everyone and be a traitor multiple times but he never gets a side so if both sides keep getting backstabed by him it is in there rights to eliminate him...........that would be a fun game

the problem with the set alliances is that it takes the diplomacy out of the game and makes it just a strategy/tactics game, which is kinda boring, to me.

Jece my point was no one has used it but it could work

agreed

One I would like to see work T/I/England this way all the funny looking colors get most of the board

djbent: I'm in a great A-H-Turk alliance now. It's not a triple, of course, but we have reached the point where a stab is unthinkable. The best part was that we had everyone thinking we were at war from a fake Spring 1903 'stab' to at least Autumn 1904. But it's true: without northern ports it's very easy to stall.