My friend, rambling aside... well said.
And STW was phenomenal when it arrived, but I don't wear rose tinted spectacles and think you would be disappointed if you played it now. It is a good game, but it is also very limited in it's diversity and (for me) longevity in terms of playability.
(I'm now putting my tin helmet on) Stick with RTW or M2TW as far as I'm concerned.