In short, compare Kakyoin with Okuyasu, compare the power magnitude between the stands of Part 3 & 4, especially the main cast, and compare the intelligence, in the wise department, beings like Kakyoin or Jotaro were handling fights much, much better than the protagonists of P.4, not saying that the protagonists of P.4 are retards, stupid. But they had more powerful stands, because the effects of each one were handled better than those of P.3 which were simpler, and because of this, the main cast of p.4 have (in effects term) more powerful stands, which is an advantage compared to something like Hierophant Green or Silver Chariot, do you understand?, for example, Star Platinum initially was just a punching machine, of course he had a lot of accuracy and strength, but still, just a punching machine until P.4, Crazy Diamond is just as powerful if not more powerful than Star Platinum when it comes to strength, his speed is far better than the same SP, and he has an "effect" is not just a punching machine, which is to restore objects to the initial state, that was something lacking in P.3, they didn't have complex or space/time stand effects, just the stuff like fencing (Silver Chariot), burning (Red's Magician), emerald splashing (Hierophant Green) and punching (Star Platinum), i'm not counting Hermit Purple since his effects aren't nothing too special, Joseph usually focus on Hamon anyways.
In short short, P.3 cast had less powers, just the basic, but P.4 expanded the concept of stand, giving people Stands with a better variety of effects, and development potential.