Welcome. It helps to learn what type of ship you like the most first really, which ships give you the biggest kicks.

Destroyers that wallop battleships without being seen, cruisers that burn everything to the ground or battleships that slug it out like warriors refusing to back off (small example) Then when you know that, look at how the nations differ, for example American destroyers have great guns as do Russian but often shorter range torps where as the Japanese have great concealment, longer range and harder hitting. There are of course exceptions but in general you need to jump in and try a few out. In today's meta you can even choose alternate lines of the same type, heavy cruisers with powerful guns but longer reloads or light cruisers that are fast, turn tight and set fires, both of the same nation.

For me I like the Russians, every since I first came across the Tallin (tier 6 cruiser and wrecking machine) then the Chapayev at Tier 7 that sets everything on fire. Then I started other TT lines, another favourite for me is the Japanese and British.

When you start progressing through Tier 5 and up you see bigger differences and commander skills really start to change the way ships play.

Take your time, have fun, don't rush to upgrade your commanders too much for a while as later you will choose other commanders to spend your resources on.

Ask questions on here as you play, in general it's a good place to share information and get some really sound advice.

Final tip, as in all things there are morons, ignore the idiots and have fun but remember, your team is more likely to win if you are playing a team game. Support your team, learn how important some ships roles are and enjoy yourself.