It may be due to not having setup the controller properly. Check out this thread. It's in regard to AC3, but may apply to ACIV too.

http://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php/730833-Assassin-s-Creed-3-PC-Xbox-controller-problem-Forums

I'm aware of that, but it's not the same as the usual difficulty setting that changes the amount of damage AI and player take.

That said, one could also not choose to upgrade anymore than what is necessary to get through the game.

I find it kinda pointless to blindly buy an AC game then bitch after the fact that it has no difficulty setting. Like I've said, none of them do, just like GTA series. Do a little research before buying. Saves you and others from pointless conversations.

On PC while in game go to Esc/database/statistics/overall statistics/total time played.

The two things that stuck out in OP's wall of rext (rant text), is he starts out praising the large beautiful world, then ends by claiming it has "sloppy" graphics. He starts out saying there's not enough challenge, only to be clueless to the fact that free running in most any AC game requires momentum. You stop in front of a wall, and guess what, he's not going to vault up it because YOU slowed his momentum to a halt.

Then there's the fact that you DO have the option to somewhat scale the difficulty by how many upgrades you employ or gadgets you use. You also don't HAVE to use Eagle Vision on every mission.

Never mind the fact that his angst has him somewhat clueless, or that he can't even spell ridiculous, he's clearly not researched the game well before buying.

Legendary ships are only intended as an elite naval battle experience. This is why they can't be boarded. The only way to defeat them is to sink them via careful maneuvering and use of your weapons. Best to zig zag close behind and avoid their mortars and broadside cannons. Even the use of chasing cannons should be limited to the lower rear hull vs the masts, because it's pointless to try and incapacitate them for boarding.

AC games never have a difficulty setting.

This one has enemy highlight wall hacks as mentioned, and on foot gameplay is no tougher than other AC games, but the naval battles can be tough if you don't do some grinding to properly prepare for them. There's lots of places early on when sailing that are restricted zones which are heavily guarded, and the Jackdaw can be turned into mince meat rather quickly if you're attacked by a bigger ship or two mediocre ones.

I took out everyone one by one in the area just before the one with the gun patrolling on the ledge. I tried to time a run toward the one with the gun to hop the tree branches and hang from the ledge before being spotted, but I didn't manage, so I kept hopping until I got on the ledge. If you do that it will reset due to being detected, but you'll spawn at a checkpoint just past the one with the gun. It's easy from there and you can still get your 100% sync, I did.

The part after with Kidd has one of the best puzzles up to that point in the game.

The treasure map pics are often just a vague representation of the treasure spot. Things to pay attention to are the general shape of the piece of land it's on and the treasure's proximity on it, and large rocks or foliage clusters near the treasure. Don't pay too much attention to the specific shape of the rock, or the exact look of the tree cluster, and don't assume what might appear to be a defining landmark to even be there, like ship wreckage for instance.

As for the cadaver on Inagua, it's not to difficult to get to. Just look for a bent tree to get up to it.

It has to be a tree that splits off into two trunks fairly close to the ground, or has something nearby which you can jump onto a branch or trunk split from. After you realize that, the only tricky part becomes transitioning from a lower split to a higher one, which can often result in Edward leaping off the tree if it isn't executed well. The same was true of Connor in AC3.

As a side note, when free running on trees you can also smoothly run from one branch to another on the other side of the trunk by letting go of the jump key/button. Edward will then treat the trunk as he would a pedestrian he runs by and swoop right around it quickly.

@jak3099:

But that's a big part of a game like AC, there's lots of exploring, and AC IV has one of the best game worlds to do it in. Traveling the high seas can become a bit of a pain in the Jackdaw though, esp if you've only 50% weapon and armor upgrades like me. There's lots of places where it's difficult if not impossible to travel without getting surrounded by stronger vessels, because you have to travel through restricted zones that are heavily protected.

If I have one gripe it's that prepping for naval battles is a grind. I'd rather they made it possible to sail ships or have a crew member sail them as escort ships after boarding and defeating them, vs having to use them for scrap to repair the Jackdaw. I don't want to have to resort to an abstract fleet system via an RTS type menu in a game with such a rich and dynamic game world. It just seems to waste a lot of the potential immersion on strategy gimmickry vs using the real world graphics.

It seems requiring an online pass for fleet building and management, even in sp play, was an easy way for them to put a lock on one of the more effective ways to battle and farm resources for those wanting to borrow, rent or buy the game used. Because of this you pretty much have to buy it and gamble on one of the most crucial aspects of the game being intuitive and interesting enough to use.

Even as far as immersion goes I'd much rather have ship accumulation and management be more hands on than RTS. I want to be able to plunder and sail ships on the fly, either by open battle or via commanding assassins to help infiltrate those docked. I don't care if I'm only limited to 2 or 3 escort ships, I want to be able to command things in the world vs via a fleet management menu.

It's decisions like this that make it obvious creativity and gameplay immersion often take a back seat to profits and simple plot by chart gameplay when publishers whom also develop are at the helm.