There was a HOTAS for AC4
and Yes while it was unrealistic to fly it really wasn't that bad you were able to stall and such nor was it intended to be realistic, but more importantly it was a hell of a lot of fun to play.
AC4 is definitely one of my most favorite games ever, based entirely on its level of fun (realism is only a factor when a game intends to be realist)
The only problem was that most gamers (uneducated :P) thought it was a realistic simulation and thus boring, whilst most flight simmers thought it was arcadey and thus broken/wrong/whatever and had a condescending view of it.
Try it is all I can say.