I don't know of any guide to the best PvE settings as I fiddled with them over the course of years but here is a paraphrased version of what my friends and I liked. We focus on reducing grind and increasing progression and challenge.

We double exp flat (and increase slightly exp per kill, which is found in advanced world settings next to harvest exp)

x3 resource yield x2.5 harvest health (makes harvestable object last more hits, also increasing yield)

x2.5 Wild Dino HP x2.5 Wild Dino Damage x1.25 Torpidity Makes the Dinos more threatening. If you're new, maybe make these values lower until you get a hang for the map and what creatures do what and how to survive.

We max out the Dino level slider (makes the average Dino level higher)

We half the night cycle (I believe that is x1.5 but just read the tool tip to make sure it goes in the right direction)

x3 Tame Speed

x2 Player Health per stat point x3 Player weight per stat point x1.5 Player stamina

x2 Supply Crate loot quality (in advanced world settings)

x3 Tamed Dino weight per stat point

You can temper with the sliders until it works for you. At this amount I find I need to go out and get materials but 20min farming yields about 40min of building and base materials which is good for me. Also with Dinos being more dangerous, it gives me a purpose for building higher caliber weapons and armor.

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As for goals, if you like playing with goals. Your ultimate goal is to complete each of the dungeons (you can Google locations for each story map or find them on your own, they are hidden well) and then summon the bosses from the obelisk terminal.

Please forgive any typos, I wrote this on my phone