It really depends if you are playing in GB or Blitz. In blitz, I'd take the extra guns over speed,
in GB I'd take the speed over damage.

...best for the Rurik to just emphasize punch and push, then?
I hadn't really looked at comparing the armour with other nations...
I'll have to test with the 8-inch duals, I guess... if not relying on armour, would you
still employ T-slot guns? Would their added weight be worth the reduction in speed?

Currently, the dual 8"s are the longest ranged CA guns for SN...lol

While I see your point, take note that most players in CAs will be playing in blitz, and
those playing in GB are either going to try to be AA or ASW ships, rarely a gun ship.

Plus SN armor is the worse tied with IJN...

On the Rurik...

If using the 2x10-inch pattern 1892 turret for your main (R-slot) guns, is there any point
in then-mounting less ranged guns on your T-slots (versus alternative armour)? On the
test server, I personally found operation of T-slot guns to be more distracting than they
were worth; the 10-inch being more than sufficient in damage, only marginally longer in
reload, and able to fight over a far greater range. Where battles would occur in excess
of their range, T-slot guns would effectively become dead weight... whereas alternative
armour could still have a favorable influence on the course of the battle. My two cents...

good patch on kirov, but you forgot to fix up Maxim Gorkij(remod of kirov) with same
T slots...

It will show players which T slots are not for torps.

Lets take an example, Kirov/Maxim Gorkyj, 1st 2x T slots could be good for torps,
while 3x other T slots (on the rear on each side) - only for AA guns. Also it would
cause another interesting setups:
like beeing decent AA boat(if T slot space will be buffed and torp loadout limited on
some slots), you would have 5 AA guns per side, that's good enough;
another setup would be 2 torp launchers and 3 AA guns per side(controlled by Z/C
buttons);
another setup crazy torp, all torp launchers but 3 rear launchers on the sides could
fire only 1 salvo of torps(sounds odd, so it should give players an idea not to use
torps at least on rear 3 slots per side).

I'm glad you understood it :)

Yeah, the ammo space is easy to solve (torpedo space). I just wanted to point out that
there will allways be 1 salvo from a torp launcher possible, even if the torpedo space is 0.

so it's solved then, buff T slots, and apply torp space limitations for some certain t
slots(look at RL setups)

Torpedoes are also limit by torpedo space which is another space that has no correlation to gun
space.

then how come on original nation BBs we have loads of space for AA ammo, but only
1 torp launcher salvo = no torp reloads?
cmon, you can do it, just look back.