You are right, WT isnt e-sports game but still I believe there is a limit how much realistic game should be. Gameplay, balance and fun should always be prior to realism in my opinion.
I also dont like APS. You, as a player, dont have to do anything. You can basically put your hands behind your back and APS will still save you against many rockets. Its another very cool feature that should have not been implemented. What I try to explain is, in WT, you get punished even when you do everything right, which shouldnt happen in PvP game in my opinion. It destroys fun.
Another example of bad features are guided bombs. You in tank are basicaly defenceless. But CAS is topic of its own.