You can judge and criticize pvp players however you like. Unskilled? Clearly needs to improve in the game? Whatever. Doesn't matter to me.
Fact is, the vast majority of pvp players will only use default/golden sailor cannons or sea dog cannons.
Especially when playing on a galleon hourglass. The choice of cannons affects the entire crew, not just the main cannoneer. Everyone agrees on the standard sailor cannon shapes only.
Plus, it's easy to communicate - whoever hits their shots can say aim with 1st/2nd/3rd ring now. Standard communications.
Most players enjoy the variety of cosmetics in this game, but not at the cost of any unnecessary/unrewarding handicap/difficulty/disadvantage.
Rare can confirm this by looking at hourglass data. Which cannons do experienced players use 99% of the time?
Everything else about the ship cosmetics can be different - sails/livery/figurehead/etc, but cannons are uniform - golden/default sailor cannons or sea dog cannons.
I've played hourglass galleon with a lot of people found from the SoT official discord. Enough to gain 900+ allegiance levels. Almost everyone uses these cannons only, if they're trying to win.
Even in other pvp games, u'll notice that most weapon skins traded/sold provide variety in colour, not shape - with some trinket that doesn't get in the way.
If Rare wants to see more high seas players using/buying/enjoying more varieties of cannon cosmetics, more colour varieties for the players' favourite cannon models in the shops should help.