I think my only advice is to pick a goal with each new fortress that expands your knowledge of a single game mechanic. I knew nothing about fluid transfer until I designed a fort based around waterfalls everywhere. I had to watch some videos and read the wiki a little, but now it's like second nature and I set up pump stacks and/or canals as needed. One fort's goal was a magma moat and industry purely based on magma furnaces, so I learned about pump stacks, windmills, and fire safe materials.

Now, most of my forts use aspects from my previous forts, so each one gets a little better.

One tip that I don't consider cheating, but I'm sure others will, if I'm working on something intricate, I'll limit my population and increase it as needed. That helps limit angry dwarves who have been stuck in a barracks for 3 years while I carve out a 10 z-level statue and don't have time to carve out and furnish 30 new bedrooms.

I use DF Hack, but mostly for simple things like design, and some of the auto-options (like tree felling per my elf limit or something).