Thanks for that post mortem. I am very much in agreement, about what I have experienced so far. As I do with all games that give me so much freedom and suck me in so deep, I'm taking my sweet time. I can't get enough of the sailing/piracy thing. It's starting to feel a bit repetitive, but I keep doing it anyway. I still don't have that diving bell, for example. Sweeeeet . . . time . . .
I'm so very happy for the generous checkpoints in that mainstay of AC games, the absolute-stealth missions. I hate it when just being seen by the enemy basically kills you off and moves you back. I've never liked that mechanic in any game. It's less frustrating here, because you never seem to lose more than a few minutes of progress on a desync. I was glad to see them mix it up sometimes, encouraging stealth, but allowing other tactics and even combat.
Bugs are so scarce that it feels odd to run into one now and then. I had a funny one last night when the game wouldn't let me into the final room of a captured castle to kill its leader. It kept saying I had to become anonymous to interact. But the only people who kept getting these yellow bubbles of awareness were a couple of my crew, who were following me around, making small talk. The game wouldn't let me attack them. Finally I picked up a powder keg, set it down between them, and shot it. They blew up, and then I was able to open the door. Haha!
I can't do the legendary ships at all yet. I'm alarmed about that because I'm as upgraded as I can get without all those elite plans. (I have to get further in the story to access those maps and treasures, I assume.) I've tried 3 different ones now, and they all take me down while still showing most of their health. Kinda discouraging. I'm not giving up, though.
Edit:
Yea its pretty cool. I sort of stopped messing with it so much as I was gaining money from it too quickly and thus making the game easier, I enjoyed boarding ships and plundering them for money instead. I only used it for just getting the unlocks.
It's even easier when you exploit the simple battle logic. A fast schooner in the first slot and a man-o-war in the third slot will always kick ass. The middle slot is flexible, but I usually stick a second fast schooner in there as well. The enemy always attacks the largest ship first, until it's gone. The third slot grants a defense bonus, so putting a tank there completely shields your other ships. The first slot grants more speed, and a 70-speed schooner there will always fire first. Often it will fire twice before the opposition can do anything. Also, you can "re-roll" the enemy's attack ships as many times as you want. If you don't like what you see, back out and choose the battle again, until it's as easy as the peril of the route will allow.
Finally got the diving bell. This is more fun than I expected; or maybe expecting to get wasted by sharks just took the pressure off. I've been nearly ignoring them. If I get eaten, I respawn in the bell, and everything I've collected is still with me. After learning how to swim (damn, those controls are finicky) I did much better. I seldom get killed at all now, after about 4 underwater areas. Those air-filled barrels also restore some health, and that makes all the difference. I'm well on my way to all the elite upgrades. So that's where they all were.
I know what you mean about the outfits. I crafted a shark-hunter outfit, which makes him look like every other rogue out there. No-hood issue, plus some mission dialog about how I looked wrong was just . . . wrong. So I felt silly wearing it, and went back to hooded outfits.
I did it! I took down a legendary ship, the . Not much dancing around either. We just traded blows until one of us went down (soon before the other would have). I've gotten much better with reading when I have to brace. It's a silly mechanic, preventing damage by bracing. (I could see it helping with crew-member attrition, but not ship damage.) So I didn't realize how important it is for defense until more recently. It also helps that the ship has all the upgrades that matter. Only the elite fire barrel storage is missing, and I still don't know what good those are unless I'm trying to run away. (If I wait around for a tough opponent to run into my mines, it's all over but the crying.) All I got was money, a lot of it. I was hoping for something for the ship.
I went the other route, idol. I only have a little over 40% of the story missions done, but over 80% of side missions and 100% of side activities. I have the most fun in freeform in this big open world. I dread missions like the one I just suffered through--tailing a row boat through a swamp on the Jackdaw and also on foot, then chasing someone down through a ridiculous obstacle course
Edit: One thing I found out recently is that your pistol ammo tops off whenever you fast travel. This has to be a bug, but a helpful one. I empty the pistols during every few ship captures, and shops (not harbormasters) are seldom outside of the main areas.