I've been making hot process soap since I started making soap, around 15 years. I always just embraced the gloppy mashed potato-ness of it. After the online communities began popping up and soap making became a "thing" more and more people started hot processing their soaps and then more newer techniques and ideas came out. I have made lots and lots of different recipes in the hot process way and I can say that before you do any of the newer extreme high temperature or added yogurt/milk/water/sugar/etc techniques that will alter your favorite finished recipe just pay attention to each recipe on its own.
Some formulas are loose in the end with nothing added. Some, you can add milks, SL, sugar and they still stay thick. I have a recipe that can't be scooped out with a spatula but has to be scooped out with a measuring cup. And I have some that are like day old, cold mashed potatoes.
I did add one thing to my recipes, and ended up using it in every recipe and that is sodium lactate. It made enough of a difference to me that I deemed it a worthy addition (and since it has to be shipped in...a worthy expense). I also cover my crock pot with tight plastic wrap and cook on low/warm. It takes longer, but once the soap gels in the center it's done with no risks of high temperature volcanoes when I walk away.
The photo is a few new soaps, I've been doing some in the crock pot swirls and even "take a spoon and smash and swirl in the mold" soaps. I don't add anything in the end, just 2 1/2% sodium lactate added in the beginning, cover the pot tight with plastic wrap, no stirring and then only stir in the additives/superfat/fragrance and mold. I'm pleased, I like the granite look of the hot process coarseness. Some of these are unmolded and cut in under 5 hours as well.
In my opinion all the messing around with hot process to make it looser is a lot of time spent to force hot process be like cold process. If you want bright colors and fine feathery swirls just use the cold process method. Embrace hot process for what it is, all the techniques have their place.