Hey, thanks to everybody for responding to this... I always find it interesting to see how others approach something as complex as this game. I'm on a quest of my own making, to destroy slavers and free slaves across the island... probably tilting at windmills, but it's very rewarding.
I find myself more immersed in this game than in any other I've yet played... except for that "papers and paychecks" game I play Monday through Friday...