Thanks for the input!
There really are a lot of parameters to try and fiddle around with - just on the software side. I am interested to see how it all plays out once 'the rubber meets the road'. I already have some familiarity with G-Code, post-processing, and numerically controlled machines from work, but I am yet to see how and if I can utilize it for home 3D-Printing.
I was also intending on trying different designs on a simpler part at first. I was just playing around trying to learn about 3D-Design and wondered why it sliced differently from my initial expectations. Which is why I came to post here in the first place.
I will be running a few pre-made prints from thingyverse, trying to get a feel for how the printer behaves with different settings, as you suggested. Once I start feeling comfortable with what I am seeing and know what the base line quality looks like, I might move on to my own files. Then at least I know what to expect and can troubleshoot a little easier - at least I hope.
In the end of the day I am sure this will end up in me changing a bunch of things all at once, ruining prints and wondering what went wrong. Just to go back and change a bunch of other things.. I am sure most people here are familiar with how that goes.