There isn’t any specific secret workflow that might be looking for, you’ve pretty much got it spot on already from the sounds of things!
In future you might consider using other software for retopology (depending on budget, Blender is a good place to start). With a bit of work you can really condense meshes down to just a few triangles without losing too much detail, then reimport back into RC and reproject the color + normal map (this will give you more control you might be looking for)
Good luck - look forward to seeing any examples of your work 