Glad you enjoyed it, I’m a big believer that people can have different feelings about the same games.

In general, I find the competition for some of those achievement spaces is often lacking. And the price of discarding cards to use an action where other player(s) are is pretty low. There are definitely cases where the action on the cards you acquire matter, but its not frequently.

Again, there are decisions to be made, but the difference between your best option and your 2nd best option is often nothing-to-very little.

1. You complain about the level of randomness. There are really only two elements of randomness at any given time: the cards in the market (which you can wipe before using the market action) and the warship flip. The former can affect things, sure, but that is true of any game with a revolving market of cards. You should adapt your strategy around what is there, not what you wish would appear. There are plenty of ways to use the cards, not the least of which is for their monetary value to gain seats and achievements with Guild interactions. The warship is a gamble, but you know going in where you stand. If you’re going there with just 1 attack, you should know you aren’t likely to win. Not focusing on attack this game? Use the cards with that action as your discards when going onto a shared space on the action selection board.

2. You mention that the multi-use cards were only really used for their good type when you played. That is a player problem, not a game problem. They have three uses for a reason, and the monetary value is arguably as important, if not more important, than the type of good. The action on them is very valuable given that you may end up needing to discard 5+ cards over the course of a turn if your opponents are using the same actions you want. The action on those cards enables you to reclaim those valuable actions, or to discard them this round so they return to your hand for use in the next round.

3. You claim the actions are not interesting and the decisions are straight-forward. I’m not sure what game you were playing, but I almost always have agonizing decisions and, from the outset, have several paths I could pursue with strategy. This game has a bit of efficiency/engine building, and there are plenty of times that a player is attempting to set themselves up for future turns with the early decisions in a round. Yes, putting a disc on the harbor is a simple turn. But it sets you up for critical actions later in the round when you fulfill the contract on a boat and, potentially, also fight off a warship. Being able to do both of those with one action is huge, but it requires planning in advance so you can do both and do them effectively. Choosing which of your rows to try and clear is another important decision, as they each open up different rewards that should help you determine your focus for the 15 actions you get. The rotating of the Guild means you need to know when to use them, make sure you have the resources to take advantage of being on a space with them, and remain aware of what your opponents are doing. The competition for seats on the board, as well as the milestones for each age, add even more decisions to the game and are critical choices as you progress (especially since seats will get more expensive and the milestones can only be placed while in the correct age).

I, for one, have thoroughly enjoyed my plays of Carthago so far and find it to be a far better game than you present here.