Welcome from Ohio! I’m pretty new here too, and this is a great place with many knowledgeable, helpful folks.
Picking a saddle+climbing method is the right place to start. I’d also add knee pads to a starter list so you can experiment with different positions to be comfortable against the tree. I use cheap Amazon knee pads and they help a bunch. I’ve seen some people use a cushioned pad strapped to the tree instead, but same idea.
Certainly not necessary to start, but check out a platform as well - Ridge Runner and Predator are two popular ones. I just started using a Ridge Runner and it made a big difference in comfort for long sits and being able to move around the tree. They are not cheap, so if budget conscious I recommend seeing if you are comfortable with the climb and hanging from a saddle before investing. If so, a platform will make your experience even better IMO. There are other options for support at hunting height - ask away if interested.