Why four still matters
Most rule examples, tournament photos, and streaming tables assume four seats. Competition for junctions is high, yet you still have enough room to recover from a mediocre first house if your second house is strong.
Start-of-game flow
Settlements snake 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 and then back 4 → 3 → 2 → 1, each time with a road touching the newest settlement. After the fourth player places their first hut, they immediately place their second—small compensation for picking last on round one.
Robber discipline
With four dice rolls between your turns, keep your hand under eight cards whenever you can. Spread production so one robber drop does not erase your whole plan.