Umbaretz

Maybe I haven't properly phrased that answer. What I mean is that your answer to the topic starter is correct, and then I add to it.

Have you read my previous answer? Badge requirements will be adjusted if needed (if indeed only 2 people in region can get it - it's not okay), and we need some time to get the data, but elite achievement being awailable for everyone is also not a good situation.

Fun police to the scene.
But really, if you're having fun - go for it. Basically the squishier ship is, the more rewarding she would be if played right. If you tire of her - you can look at other fragile ships - there are plenty on lower and mid tiers. My favorite (in this category) is Pensacola though.

This. When you're on the bootton ranks - of course you probably won't see great players, and the main milestones are ranks 10 and 5. Of course, I'm not saying that everyone with ranks 5-1 is a unicum player, since persistence can also help, but to get first rank (and even fifth rank) you need to be reasonably good.

What would giving elite achievement to everyone would achieve?

It doesn't affect gameplay, it doesn't affect economis of the game, it has minima effect on experience - but it's an emblem to earn, show to others and feel good about it. Others may or may not care.

It has higher damage potential, better ricochet angles, can't overpen, but reduced penetration - basically hitting citadels should be limited to very specific cases.

What we can call SAP really depends on a nation.
Most of the time SAP shell is basically an AP shell, with some modifications - most if the time it has bigger bursting charge. In some cases (German, if I remember correctly) SAP - is just an HE with bottom fuse. Also, I've read different shell manuals, and even one nation can call the exact same shell AP in once case or SAP in another.

Why not? It's a shell type. It existed and was pretty wide-spread.

It may be, but Elite Carrier emblem should be handed out to average players, so the requirements should be kinda hard, but reachable for great players.

It's always taken into consideration.
Main goals of Public test (from our side) are:
1) Catch bugs.
2) Test some new stuff and gather feedback, and, of course, also catch some bugs.
Regarding what have changed during PT - more clarifications, requirement to unlock was changed from 2 to t X ship.
Italian SAP shells had limiter to DD damage removed.

Yes, it seems that it's not much, but feedback is always collected, form all tages - closed testing, public testing, main server, and diferent sources - forums, various external cites, CC feedback, etc.
And the results may uppear in the next production cycle/next update/after next update - it also depends on different factors, like feedback amount, data gathering, complexity of the changes needed, etc.

How do you usually play those ships?

This was already covered on reddit, but I'll repeat:
In this "nerf immunity" perspective, Smolensk is not a premium, Unless it becomes available for real money. And we are pretty sure that long before it happens (if it happens) we will be able to make the necessary changes (if necessary).

Hey. As with all stuff related with carriers, we needed time to gather data, to make new requirements.
After the most recent update, for example, life for carriers should've become somewhat easier, and we hope that it was the last major carrier balancing patch. We'll see how the situation will develop, and, if needed will adjust the emblem requirements.

That's actually a very sound strategy - if you feel that you can't win - sometimes it's better to take a break from competitive, or, maybe change a ship/class — this also can help.
You should have fun playing the game.

We are going to improve consistency of gun sounds, as we've said in devblog earlier:

Also, the Public Test of 0.8.8 is not so far away, where you'll be able to experience it firsthand.

130mm/58

And that is true.

While officially 130mm/58 wasn't put into service until 1957, several destroyers were commissioned with those guns before that:
Neustrashimy - laid down 1950 comissioned 1953
Kotlin class - laid down 1953, earliest commisioned in 1955.

I've read it. Well, there were no takeovers, and the balancing process hasn't changed. I've been seeing talks about russian bias for years, and for all this time the opposite talk about American/German/Frehch bias has also existed.
We do not at the least wan't to introduce gamebreaking OP ships in the game, and even more so to just create one OP nation. There is just no reason to do that.

Perhaps you misunderstood me. One of the reasons soviet naval guns of the 30ies was heavy influence of Italian school and italian techincal aid. So the guns had great ballistics, but shorter barrel life. Brown water and all of that.
Late 16-inch is this gun:

It still stands there.
18-inch, is as with many other T-10 guns is based on a late 40ies project.
Entire line was being tested.

I was talking about naval guns, obviously, not infantry rifles.
But still, if you want to make a discussion about different countries doctrines, gun capabitlities and all related stuff - you can make a separate topic and I'll be glad to discuss that.

Italian naval gns are kinda famous for their short barrel life.

There are several weather conditons, like cyclone, or thunderstorm front.

We do. And well, I can at least agree we can make life easier for returning players (and we're doing it), especially if they've taken a long break. Right now we re discussng the idea of reasonably sized page to tell returning players what's new and what can they do.
One recent example of such improvements can be new recruiting station, which can also returning players.