Thumpers are super gimmicky. They have multiple handicaps rolled into one weapon, which results in something only useful if you have literally no alternatives available. They are OK against weak shields or, situationally, to finish off weakened enemies, but at the same time, their spin-up, "not accurate enough, not inaccurate enough" nature and slow projectiles prevent them from being as good against fighters and very light targets as their damage type and lore should indicate. Any other weapon will be a better option, including small ballistics in a medium slot.
In my opinion, the Thumper needs increased DPS, increased ROF, decreased spin-up, or increased projectile speed. It's OK for there to be some bad weapons in the game as it fits the setting, but I still think it could do with a niche in which you might still pick it over a competing weapon, provided it fits the loadout in question. With more spread/ROF, Thumpers would let you wall out enemy missiles from your target and shred fighters in a sustained firefight, and still do OK damage against shields and hull.
