Thanks for the answers above. Haven't yet figured out how to globally re-default (if that's a word) though I know there will be a way to do it, just haven't stumbled upon it so far. But I've managed to make myself a workaround LO template from which I can clone everything, or else convert individual files to LO and then Save, so I'm now happy. I only need it to do fairly simple things.

Thanks for such quick & helpful answers. One brief question, since I'm posting anyway (haven't had a chance to experiment with this yet): I found that using columns, which I do quite frequently, became increasingly unsatisfactory in OO - the tabs would not work consistently or at all, it gave me ugly horrible text boundary-lines which didn't print out but were nasty & distracting on the screen and which I utterly loathed and detested and abominated. (Am I making my feelings clear, I wonder?)

Somebody puhleeeeez tell me that LO behaves itself column-wise, especially that its tabs play nicely and don't fight with the other formatting. Otherwise I think I'm good to go, so thanks lads!