6. Meaningful And Rewarding Side-Quests
Okay hands up, did anybody do the Homestead missions from Part III? Exactly. Implementing a system of hunting animals and acquiring materials works a treat if theres actually an incentive and progression to such a thing. Where AC III failed in making all that extra exploration actually relevant to progression in the game, IV succeeds in leaps and bounds. As Ubisofts reversal on their Uplay Passport pricing revealed (
source), they do eventually listen to consumer feedback if the voice is loud enough. In Black Flag they seem to be doing much of the same, taking a few pages from Far Cry 3s book and instilling a crafting mechanic dependant on how much you hunt the various creatures inhabiting the world around you. Killing a couple iguanas lets you create the iconic second gun-holster seen in the promotional materials, and thats just the start of an expansive list that also includes health upgrades, pouches for throwing arrows and the returning rope-darts from III. Thats not to mention the pretty daunting list of customisation-options available to your ship; The Jackdaw. Everything from different steering wheels, front-mounted Maidenheads and coloured sails accompany various weapon modifications and upgrades, the likes of which you can only afford through plundering other lesser ships and boarding or destroying them for different rewards. Theres a great risk-reward of going after multiple lesser ships than yourself after a few upgrades, only to be told theres been a Hunter dispatched to curtail your wanton destruction. The resulting emergence of a towering behemoth on the horizon beckons the question of whether you try and take it down for an even greater reward, or attempt a getaway by way of docking and fleeing into a nearby village to clear your name.