On #1, if you have Good Lock installed (if not, go to the Galaxy Store app and get that app and install it). Then open NotiStar (install that plugin from within the Good Lock app), go to the bottom and toggle on "Set app unable to clear notifications". Then the ability to open that part up will show the apps, then set the ones to be excluded from being cleared.
On #2. if I am understanding this correctly, the notifications show up with all of the quick setting icons making it appear cluttered since the notification sizes are the same? Please elaborate if I got that wrong. Anyway, pull down the entire quick panel screen, and then click on the pencil icon at the top. Then open the "Panel settings" on the top left and choose separate. This will separate the quick panel settings between and the notifications and icon panela as explained in that setting decryption. The gesture area can be adjusted using the "QuickStar" plugin from within the Good Lock app, by going to the bottom after opening it and using the slide bar to adjust the area size for the gesture for each panel. On which side to set each panel can also be chosen while in Panel settings".
#3 The media has to be active to show up in the quick panel. Also, if the "Separate" setting is used in the quick panel settings, then there will be more room for the media player but the size remains the same for it (AFAIK).
#4 is true, but it does add a 4th indicator as a small dot, to show that there are more notifications. Now going back to "NotiStar" one can go to the "Application list" and toggle on or off what they want to see. If more apps need to be toggled on, then open the "User filtered list" and add apps that are preferential to being seen first in the status bar.
