It’s also another issue by having officer limit that you can’t just field infinite officered frigates but need to put them in high value ones. If both sides are fully officered I doubt there is much disparity.
I feel there's a bit of a deviation from the "sector in decay" theme right now.
The baseline for power are pristine superships with S-mods and officers, anything that's not a disposable POI runner or distraction feels dead weight without them.
If that is a problem skills would need a nerf, or officers made unlimited/sharing their bonuses to chaff in some way.
DP doesn't matter, it's the effect it's having relative to before it had it.
The "Which of those is suddenly able to kill everything" comparison you made does factor in DP.
Anyone who thinks the Lasher is getting the same punch from SO isn't looking very hard. That disparity needs to be addressed.
You are handwaving instead of trying to form an argument, and adding insults in the process.
LP Lasher with machine guns and LAGs has tons of OP to spare even without building in anything, and runs around at ~230 even without an officer/CM.
Paired with ammo feeder it's good at the initial captures, and can clean up some frigates/destroyers after. 4 DP, completely disposable.
AI can't use teleport properly, without that Hyperion is pretty bad for the cost so needs the player to pilot it.
With the player, wolfpack tactics (means you didn't get Coordinated maneouvers), reliability engineering (effective cost is 2 points), crew training(ok, you need this anyway) and hardened subsystems is ~130s PPT.
Without WT and RE ~70s.
In return it sucks at bruteforcing brilliants/radiants and absolutely hates fighters.
I'd take some SO lashers over using an SO Hyperion any day of the week.
A proper comparison is an eagle, still much cheaper than Hyperion.
3 HMGs are ~960 kinetic DPS, 3 phase lances smash armor, and the entire thing runs around at ~150-200 with CM and injector.
Give it to the AI and it'll plow over enemies. Stock Eagle is too slow and lacks venting to do that, it's all SO doing the heavy lifting.