Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - 1/4 round against baseboard, transitions

I. We just installed laminate flooring where the directions tell you to leave at least 3/8" space up against all walls/hard objects to allow for expansion. The baseboard we have is only about 1/4" wide a the bottom so you will see a gap between the baseboard and the egde of the laminate floor. The directions show a piece of quarter round as a solution, but I think it's going to make the baseboard look funny. If I was to do it over, I think I'd just leave a small gap (1/8") and just stick the baseboard on top. Any suggestions or comments?

II. I bought all the available transition pieces for this laminate floor: the stair rail, hard surface reducer, laminate to laminate, etc. One worked okay where the laminate met a tile floor of roughly the same height, but at other higher transitions, nothing seems to work. The hard surface reducer appears to be the transition to use in these cases, but it seems like it would only work where the higher floor (tile) is at precisely the right height (1/4" higher). What do you do if the adjoining floor is say an extra 1/2"? Custom made pieces?

III.And what about where the laminate floor transitions up to a sliding vinyl door threshold(about 3/8")? Even if we can make one of the premade transitions work, you will still see the unfinished ends of the transition if you look at it from either side where it meets the edge of the door jamb.
Thanks for any advice.

Follow the instructions of leaving a 3/8" gap...or else you are asking for trouble.

Installing a 1/4 round (or even "shoe moulding") is typical and is usually always installed with baseboards.

Or, spend more money on a wider baseboard.

Under cut the sheetrock that is behind the baseboards.

Endcap molding against any surface that cannot be undercut.