Italy begins the game with only four research slots, thus a common first objective is to expand to the fifth research slot, which is possible once base IC is 80. If it focuses on you, rather than the action in France or the Far East, Rome will burn. It is easy to overextend, and when you do, you are at the mercy of the magical allied magnifying glass. Italy is one of the most fun countries to play since it has enough handicaps and plenty of potential. Do you want to immediately go on a small conquering spree, putting you in an ahistorically strong position (if you do not get DoW'd by the entire Balkans and Turkey, or let alone the major powers)? Will you depend on Germany to give you the support to defend your home while most of your forces are conquering Egypt? Should you defend or abandon Ethiopia? It is imperative to make some choices right at the beginning. Italy has the potential to dominate the Mediterranean theatre, but is hampered by a lack of everything: good tech teams, industry, resources, and skilled military leadership.
