1- I ruthlessly enforce random encounters, per DMG guidelines, both in and out of the dungeons (the wilderness is a Very Dangerous Place, see DMG p.133).
Comparing what you do to what I do, for fun.
1) I don’t do, but players generally don’t get to Nova for 1 encounter and then sleep. There’s often a time constraint or active NPC/monster actions that make that not possible.
Right now, my players in my email TOEE campaign know there’s an ultimatum from the Viscount of Verbobonc for Hommlet‘s Rufus & Burne to surrender the Tower of Hommlet (and themselves and the PC's as prisoners) the day after tomorrow, so they need to finish their mission (3 of 4 gems acquired, in the last node) before they sleep, to get back and deal with that.
They didn’t recognize the hints that a mercenary army of Hobgoblins with Elephants is on its way, and will arrive a day early. Luckily, Rufus, Burne, and Spugnoir (NPC who was briefly with the party and was sent back to the Tower by the party to escort rescued civilians) figured it out and most of the village is fleeing to the Moathouse before the army arrives. (It helps to have players from other campaigns plot as the NPC factions!)
2- All of the encounters are Status Quo. "Here there be dragons" is a warning!
2) 100% my approach. The world is not is scaled to the PC’s levels, but there are hints or big warnings in some cases. I think this is traditional AD&D/Greyhawk style play.
Village guards will almost always be Warrior 1, and most wolves are wolves, but dragons are dragons.
3- I exclusively use the "organic character creation" option in the DMG, which ensures that PCs don't necessarily have the highest scores in the abilities they desire most (e.g. Constitution for Concentration, or Dexterity for AC, or Strength for melee.) I have had wimpy clerics and buff wizards at my
3) I do 4d6, drop lowest, any order. One set of rolls, unless any stat is 6 or lower, in which case you may choose to reroll them all (not just the low one).
4- Intelligent adversaries will always target spellcasters as a matter of priority, and they will work in concert by flanking (so that 5' steps are useless) or, even better, surrounding; so that they can Ready actions to interrupt the spellcaster (whom are not guaranteed to have high enough Constitutions, by the assumed organic character creation). Enemy spellcasters will try to counterspell, obviously. So, the "useless" Fighters and Rogues are in a uniquely good position to actually intercept and engage adversaries to give spellcasters the necessary freedom to cast spells. The act of casting a spell must NEVER be taken for granted; the players should never consider that casting a spell is a simple option, and should think that using magic items is a better option for this reason, however...
4) I don't usually fight this way, and neither do my players. Non-casters often do more damage. The enemy (and players) tend to focus either on what's doing the most damage, or what's easy pickings.
5- Creating magic items should not be easy; the "power components" variant in the DMG guarantees that it's not a rote process, and that it's also VERY costly (I use the maximum x20 multiplier suggested in the DMG). Hacking the Wealth by Level table (by at least halving the values, per "low magic" considerations in the DMG) however reduces both the looted money and looted magic items (at 1/2 the value, you get "delays" in loot gains by at least 1, to about 3 levels). So, money will tend to be scarce (and needed for training, and for healing, and for resurrecting...), and the number of magic items found will be small. In short, recreate the "AD&D environment," which wasn't kind on spellcasters.
5) I use standard rules for magic item creation. My players never have enough money. With two domains to run that need investments in building buildings, recruiting, and gearing the recruits, and another PC building a monastery, money goes fast. Time is the other big investment for magic item creation.
Wealth by Level is a totally foreign concept to me. They get what they find and spend what they feel is necessary.
New PC's don't get Wealth by Level and their choice of stuff either. 5 PC's I've added above 1st level since 2021, they get whatever mundane gear makes sense, and basically 1-2 items special items of their choosing, or I'll give them something if they don't. It's an Earn-As-You-Go campaign. This is probably the one place I'm "tougher" than you.
6- Make sure that ALL spells are appealing, not just the combat ones. Spellcasters should constantly face cost-opportunity choices, like memorising Neutralise Poison or Divine Power? Is Comprehend Languages going to be useful? Arcane Lock may be necessary to get some time to rest! What about Tenser's Floating Disk?
6) Hmm, not sure what you mean, but yes, spells like Leomund's Secure Shelter, Sending, and Create Food & Water were considered game changers for my PC's.
Partially, that's because they have people to talk to elsewhere (thus Sending is critical) in complex plots like working with Rufus and Burne. Partially it's because attacks while resting happen, and I've done stuff like their first trip out of Keep on the Borderlands, some PC's nearly froze to death in the mountains because they didn't have enough tents, winter blankets, and cold weather clothing. That got across the "logistics matter" message clearly.
7- All sorcerers must have patrons (DMG variant p.42) so that gaining new spells is not automatic, and subject to bargains with entities which have their own agendas, and not all patrons are what they seem...Similarly, wizards must do spell research (DMG p.41), which has a time AND monetary cost; but money is not really plenty (due to WBL reduction). And finding scrolls and spellbooks is also not easy (again, WBL reduction.) Bards don't have it easy, either; scouring the countryside for new songs, rumours, etc. costs time AND money (DMG p.42)
7) I haven't done that.