I've played Catan a bunch at family holidays and I'm kinda done with the whole 'you traded with the leader??' energy.
I want something modern that still clicks for non-gamers but isn't just another negotiation fest. Cooperative could work but I don't want one person quarterbacking the whole table.
Player count is usually 3-4, sometimes a fifth wanders in. Budget is flexible but I'd rather not start with a $200 monster box.
What was YOUR first step after Catan that actually stuck?
I can handle a medium teach if the rules are consistent — Catan's weird edge cases annoyed me more than the theme.