Base Hammerhead isn't all that bad. It isn't slow, fragile or short ranged. Being a duelist at this size type isn't bad, either, since it isn't expected to fight many enemies at once in the first place. It doesn't really suck at anything in particular, which is why it's so good when it also comes with AAF.
Use the console.
Oh, but what console? I just downloaded a fresh game from the site and it doesn't come with any.
Yes.
The point of AAF is to increase offensive power. Choking on flux and dying in no way helps with attacking. With how important managing flux is, I consider the flux discount more important than rate of fire buff.
Are you trying to say that human will not be able to kill the Wolf in the Dominator or Falcon in the Sunder? Thats not funny.
Its the examples of ai being unable to use its firepower. Failure to command.
Depends mostly on bigger ships' loadouts.
Dominator might have great firepower, but when the target can just dodge it, it might as well have none. When the target can pick when to engage and you cannot, you also cannot press the advantage. Dominator with railguns or similar guns can keep the Wolf away, but might not be able to kill it. Without sabots, harpoons or salamanders, it has no hope of dealing damage to the Wolf, outside of strike builds that can damage the Wolf, while it's overloaded from the initial strike.
The importance of applicability of firepower is better visible in the Falcon and Sunder case. Sunder with beams can't damage Falcon at all. Sunder with hard flux weaponry won't be able to reach the Falcon without taking a lot of damage on the shields. Sunder with SO, while faster, has to close a longer distance as well. Sunder either can face an enemy with better range and mobility and fail, or trade firepower for range and also fail, just slower. At least, if you don't missiles. If you do, you trade lasting power for killing one, two Falcons.
That said, if the Falcon you're facing against isn't built similarly to sim Falcon (kinetics and ion beam combo), you have better chances of winning. Unless the Falcon doesn't actually outstrike you...
Too bad Hammerhead isn't in the same position as Sunder. The speed's the same, but the range is much better. While it isn't much tougher, it has an easier time managing its flux, since ballistic weapons are more efficient, effectively making it harder to defeat in practice.