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Our laminate floor fit so tightly together that the joints are nearly impossible to see anyway. Add to that fact the printed pattern itself consisted of random length "boards", the thought of whether to go 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, or totally random never came up. I just went with the way that provided the most efficient use of the material.
In addition, most of the older houses I have been in that have real hardwood that was designed to actually be the functional floor and not just some decorative pattern, used random lengths. The couple of bundles of old Oak and Maple flooring that we still have to sell here at work are all random lengths in the bundles.
I'll be quite honest and say this. You are thinking way too much into this. You do want to consider which direction to run the layout but exact staggering? You do want to make consideration in avoiding a 1" strip at the end but anything smaller, is covered with baseboard. Unless you room is perfectly even, it may require cutting anyway.
If you ever install laminate, the goal is to do the least cut possible. Doing an exact 18" or 24" staggered is personal preference but IMHO, only makes the floor look worse. Why? all the joints will pop right out cause there is no random to the pattern.
Laminate are easy to remove so lay out a few feet with the pattern you have in mind. No one can dispute your preference of trying to make it look perfect. To me, laminate are cheap flooring that is easy to install and remove. I don't waste too much time trying to make it be something that is not.
You layout laminate just has you do hardwood in both where you star in with so has to cover well without a narrow piece.on one edge. I see that all the time after having worked with tile professionasl when young. In a floor that has multi rooms that join with halls thru opening its hard to layout as compromise has to be done before starting .The professionals can do it by just measuring and even a lot of new homes I see are incorrectly done. very often by less than professionals who do floors only.
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