you're they are very different. i started on the my before i ever made my way to any software, so my experience was the opposite of yours. now working with DAW's fairly regularly and keeping the MPC in the mix, i think i've found a good balance. the MPC is linear, in the fact that it is a forward moving progression. so an intro whether you're in a DAW or in creating the steps is the same. working in larger blocks of steps also allows for creating more of the 'linear feel'. i feel you on that it may seem radical but you're essentially still doing the same thing.
an old roommate of mine taught my the Dummy Sequence method back in the day and i still think this is a great method. create a master/dummy sequence that contains all the tracks. and then continue to copy and paste your dummy seq. making the various changes. so even though in your intro you may only want a fender rhodes loop and hi-hats , by using the dummy you just mute all the other elements. then unmute as you bring whatever you want next. here's what i mean:
Dummy Seq>(all numbers represent tracks)
1. main hihats 8th notes
2. snare
3. kick on 1
4. kick on 3 and
5. hihat freaked
6. snare change
7. snare rolls
8. kick fill 1
9. kick fill 2
10. claps
11. bass 1 (main)
12. bass 2
13. bass 3
14. bass 4
15. keys 1
16. keys 2
17. keys 3
18. horn 1
19. horn 2
ok, whatever. you get the point. just try building a main/dummy and then copy and paste the dummy with each consective change. so that same example above on the intro would have everything muted but key 1 and hithat main, for say 7 bars and on the 8 it'd be the same but you might want to bring in the kick 3 and and the snare (on the 4) to lead into your track. so you'd make that another seq. off your dummy.
there's really so many ways you can do it. some might feel the dummy method is laborous but i think this method really helps in the song construction process because you've already created the heart of your track now you just orchestrate when, how and make varying other changes as needed.. then throw it in song mode and bam your done.
with this method you're still going to have to make some edits to your main to acheive stuttering, mutes and such but that's super easy on the MPC.
good luck and remember you can always sync the MPC to the computer if you just don't like 'steppin'.
peace
actuel
(i've been awake for 32 hours and counting, so if this doesn't make sense pm's me and i'll try to explain more cleary.)
