Help with compressing? Completely lost.

[newbcompress]

Came here from a famous repacker, I just want to make some private repacks for some friends. I'm not sure where to start, though. There's a lot of different software, some seemingly deprecated, and a lot of conflicting information. What do I need to compress my games as best as I can?

Also, how do I find the best compression "methods" for a game like the sticky thread them? Is it just trial and error? Or has it since changed into one-size-fits-all with Diskspan? It seems it's the best compressor (I'm guessing that's what it is) right now.

I know I'm asking for a lot here, but honestly anything helps. I'm completely lost.