quoting Radius, Hydrogen, United States:

My proposal for the future is that we use the six-player rules for Diplo, in which Italy is not used. That way 1. nobody needs to get the shaft, and 2. the difficulty of reaching the correct number of interested players is reduced.

Playing the normal map without Italy is less optimal than playing on either a modified board (where Italy is stronger), or a completely different one.

I've been reconsidering the map I made for Wolf Diplomacy. It's 2/3rds the size of standard Diplo and, if tweaked properly, might be quicker and more fun in online play.