Generally, I open up with two settlements a couple hexes away from each other in an attempt to get a wide variety of resources.
My friends and I have really gotten into Settlers of Catan recently but I just can't seem to get the hang of it. We've played a dozen games and the max that I've acquired is 7 Victory Points. This is all of our first times, too. Generally, I open up with two settlements a couple hexes away from each other in an attempt to get a wide variety of resources. I also frequently get boned by the robber since my friends tend to load up on Development Cards. Even though I have a solid amount of dots, I just can't seem to build as quickly as my opponents.