Africa must be contested as long as possible, the South Pacific must find itself drawn into the Japanese Empire, and occasionally America will have to deal with Japanese troop build ups in Alaska. The longer Germany can hold out, the stronger the role Japan will have in the game, and the more Russia will suffer. If Germany goes on an all out offensive in the east, an offensive which is not guarenteed to work, it leaves the British free to reenforce their position in Africa. An all out attack on British sea power leaves the Russians free to act in the East, making the eventual and necessary drive on Moscow that much more difficult for the Wehrmarcht. And, no matter what Germany decides, it will always face the possibility of British and eventually American bombers attacking the heart of German industrial production.
Japan Japan starts the game in a much less tenuous position.
Soon it becomes apparent that rapid Japanese expansion leads to its troops being spread thin enough among its new possessions that continued expansion becomes not only risky, but downright dangerous. The Allies start out on the defensive. Execept for the Atlantic Ocean, the Axis have either have superior forces in every theater of operations or can bring such forces to bear in any attack. In the opening phases of the game, the Allies must hamper Axis expansion as much as possible, while building up the neccessary forces to cooperatively deal a final and devastating blow to Fascism. Here, again, the key concept is time.