Regarding the quad frigate vs. cruiser discussion, any cruiser with converted hangers can easily kill a frigate goon squad unless it is made of tempests or phase frigates. Even the venture with mining drones can win relatively cleanly.
Come on, Venture is kill-able by single player piloted SO Lasher no matter what build it uses (sim, both skill-less). Just stick to one of it's rear-side turrets and keep it disabled (time Annihilators to high flux/vent provided by your LMGs). Avoid Harpoon/Sabot salvos as needed, 245 speed is enough to do so safely considering additional time it takes for them to turn from front-facing launchers (even with ECCM on Venture).
I'm not saying this scenario is hopeless for Venture - smarter AI could do better shield control (AI allows driving flux up by just LMGs, followed by Annihilators after shield drop/vent) and time it's Sabot/Hornet salvos better in hope of stalling enough for CR win. But still, it's badly cornered by single competent Lasher.
Now in AI vs AI Venture can handle 4 frigates (though not always). But only because their piloting quality ranges from bad to utterly incompetent (example: Melee SO Lasher under AI control).
Frigates are way more sensitive to bad piloting, they need to do better than just approach and autofire to win. Of course lack of fleet slots and officers are valid problems for potential of frigate-based play as well.
...Yeah, frigate-fleets just seem impossible AI-wise.