You pretty much have the game figured out. If you wanted to do more then you'd need to get more involved in the "role play" aspects, otherwise there isn't much to do. IRC is 90% for the bullshitting.
Eh, it's more than just a "act now, see what happens tomorrow" game.
Who are you in game? I'd hope we could help you get more out of the game than the overnight wait. I did the same thing on Primera (the original server) and didn't really enjoy it because I treated it like a wait-and-see game, but once we restarted on Secura and I got active on IRC my enjoyment increased immensely.
Examples of why being on IRC is important beyond "role play":
Battles happen in real time, and quite often the damage will double within the last 2 minutes. Being on IRC allows for coordination of such fights. South Korea is small but pretty powerful. It's because we're tactical and our coordination is extreme.
Most of the businesses function over IRC: buying and selling is done more often at lower costs over IRC. It may not be the most profitable for the businesses, but most of them have some presence in the IRC trade channel.
Supplies are handed out for people who are active and on IRC. If you aren't on, you don't get free stuff.
Selection for Congressional candidature factors IRC activity pretty heavy. When laws need to be passed, it's expected to check in on IRC for what the voting should be.