That is a lot of light! Like maybe overkill. We have a slightly smaller room and have three rows of four lights. The first row that faces the fireplace can be angled. In our original plan their were nine lights and i think that maybe would have been even better

Your electrician or a lighting store may help you with a design for best lighting. Ask for the lights to be on a dimmer switch(es) to control the lighting.

Can you not fit recessed lights, where the light source is inside and higher up in the cylinder?

Wafer lights have the light source protruding beyond the surface and they cause glare. I would really try to avoid wafer lights if I could.

My living room recessed lights are placed based on the room dimensions and not the furniture, which might be rearranged at any time.

Lighting needs to layers not all from the ceiling. Floor lamps, table lamps all with pot loights make for a nicely lit space I do not hate wafers but that many is over kill. MY advice is go to a good lighting store and get help with overal lighting for any space .

1. Room Size and Layout: The number of pot lights needed depends on the size of the room. A general guideline is to have one pot light for every 4 to 6 square feet of space. For example, in a 300-square-foot living room, you might need around 8 to 10 pot lights. 2
2. Spacing Guidelines: Proper spacing is crucial to avoid overcrowding. A good rule of thumb is to space pot lights 4 to 6 feet apart. This helps ensure even lighting and minimizes shadows. Additionally, pot lights should be positioned 18 to 36 inches from the walls to

Picking and pulling advice out of context from AI, which itself picked and pulled advice out of context, is misleading and naivety at it's purest.

A grid of wafer lights lighting up a Living Room like a gym is antithesis of good lighting design. So excruciating detailing of the position of a source above your head around a few inch difference is moot. You've chosen the grid, just work with what looks best for the overall grid and you won't realize a difference.