I did think of you, knowing you prefer 1st person. The trick is to persevere, esp. with Combat and Lockpicking .. the latter is really tough to start but now I can do it almost every time.
Cex sell it for about £12, I figure it's going to be a cult one in time..., you love it or hate it.
It does sound right up my street. If it's first person I am usually sold and I love all the tough bits. Will try and pick it up before Christmas! A holiday treat
If it keeps my interest, I will write up a second journal. There is a lot to tell. I think the first run through I found the Cumans (bad guys) so bloody hard I gave up.
This time, it was several sparring sessions with the Captain before I did that main quest.., and they fell easily.
I played an expansion to Skyrim once that was like that, the difficulty was so amped up that i had to put it down and come back to it some time later.
I will keep all your tips in mind!