TD is right, there are trade offs involved. Or as they say, "DA knee bone connected to da, thigh bone....da thigh bone...."
Another thing, I have always felt the amateurs here are dreaming about routing a Sand Hills or whatever. For most, those are once in a lifetime projects, great and ample land, etc. As TD notes (and others) when you start on a 160 acre property, the rules are a bit different. Add in enviro rules, client wishes, real estate, climate, you name it, they all have an effect.
We all probably do have a few rules in our head, even if not articulated, just "felt" about what is right and wrong. All of us have holes we like (a la Dye and cape holes, for instance) We all have patterns, too, like brushing teeth before shaving or whatever. we need to recognize those to overcome them, if negative.
I recall TEPaul once advocating the "blank slate" mentality for routing, but who can really ignore years of experience, good and bad, and really, who would want to? Do you want your pilot to relearn flying on YOUR flight?
But, there is a process we go through, which I articulated on that old thread. It starts with some basic analysis, which in effect is making a checklist of stuff you can't do first. Sounds bad, but it kind of narrows the options from infinite to only a few thousand, which can be a big help for the indecisive! After that, its a trial and error period. Then refinement.
Up in MN a reporter asked me if the routing was any different on the Quarry and Legend and was astounded to hear me say, "different sites, different results, same process." It is not unlike the scientific process in some ways. Identify problems, opportunities, test ideas, come to conclusions, retest if necessary (as Forrest says, he often does 20+ routings, often minor variations)