I can see panda being non threatening from a player perspective as the AI won't utilize its strengths correctly. It's one of those ships that is really strong in player hands but kind of middling in AI hands because various reasons, including the weaknesses you mentioned. Probably why it's not fielded that often in AI fleets.
In the player hands, flanking is no problem because player can use ship system to quickly turn around but AI uses all its charges just moving back and forth instead of strategically to dump flux or punish flankers or reload weapons. AI also won't abuse the superior range of the panda to "kite". It's true the paragon can outrange the panda but only if it is using 1000 range beams, otherwise the panda is going to be winning the range game. Nearly all non beam large energies are 700 range. A 1000 range recson v gets extended to 1200 range and then further by itu to 1920 range. The larges might be a closer match since they are a lot further back but it's not a huge discrepancy I think. Uhlans will still reach out to 2080 range. And anyway, other capital ships aren't so lucky to have +100% range like the paragon does.
The last loadout I used for panda under AI control was 6 thrush + 2 opfer + 4 artassault at the front. It had rear facing hexafires to deter flankers and that weird orb PD weapon in the 360 medium turret and some ibis' in the middle smalls. For wanzers, it had a raven, a blizzaia, and an avalanche I think or maybe that support wanzer. This panda was part of a heavy carrier focused fleet though, in which all medium missiles (2 from storms, 1 from fractuses) were thrushes so there were tons of micro missiles and wanzer flying around preventing enemies from easily maneuvering.
Also something that came to mind while writing this is PD with dampened mounts is ridiculously strong. +200 range is insanity, close to 60% range boost for the ibis for example. Enemy fleets have a very hard time using fighters or missiles against diable capitals.
Are were right, I have spent a lot of hours over the last week with the Pandemonium and you can make some lean effective builds pre S-modding dampened. It is lean but at least there are good options in the large mounting to give you effective choices.
@Joestar
The Daze micro missile cluster is burst 16 and reload 8. I did not see a burst 16 version in the weapon_data.csv. I will note that it feels good at burst 16 for the daze with it being the lower mobility cruiser and a large hit box. Either way I wanted to point out the oddity.
The new glowfang equation rifle technically works but needs a major balancing pass. Lower applicable damage than the Artassault Revolvers but it has a high ordnance point value and more flux usage and I was using a Ashfall with two of each to test it. Two simple suggestions depending on how you want it to work either a cheap budget weapon at the current stats just ordnance points around 3 similar to the HMI Xi Liu Small Mining Collector but it trades shorter range for more damage. If it needs to be more costly than a Rescon S it needs to pull its weight with a better RoF paired with a reasonable flux or second.
I do recommend the pre built in Dampened Mounts to get a different name and maybe a recolored icon to separate it from the normal hull mod version. I see the two version of Dampened Mounts similar to Integrated Targeting Unit and Advanced Targeting Core. Where both do similar things but to different degrees.
Ashfall's current ship ability Evasive Maneuvers gives the ship an excessive mobility boost for the size of the ship. It really should share the ship ability Phase Flicker Core with the Haze. This way it still has a mobility boost but not nearly as extreme as it currently is. (Is anyone else playing this version of DA and watching the Ashfall zoom all around?)
The Dampened deployment costs values should be relooked at as they are high overall but especially for the frigates and destroyers whom generally get the least return for taking it and get the largest % increase for deployment.
The last two suggestions are more of a creative "what if" or brainstorming some possibilities. As always you are doing the work so do what you want with this but maybe it can help your own creativity.
What is Advanced Avionics was a stock signature hull mod of DA where all the ships had it. Similar to Junker for HMI or ScalarTech Drives as an example. Even if the buff is small it might be interesting.
One possible direction could be the concept of flying hard, fast on the razors edge(red = goes faster, thanks 40k orks). Maybe it could grant a speed boost when over 65% flux and small boost to flux disruption rate increase. I like the idea of living on the edge and it is already played with that idea tied to the Hexafire Scatter weapons about running the ships hot. I'm still not sold on that weapon vs your other DA options as an aside. Just a possibility and trying to think of way to make Advanced Avionics worth taking.
I would love to see a missile themed hull mod that is mutually exclusive with the normal hull mod Dampened Mounts (not the prebuilt in one) restricted to DA tagged ships. I have been playing around with a number of missile hull mods from other mods to see what you could do with DA ships including the auto take of ECCM from the base game. The results have been fun and showed me that if the DA missiles had a way to boost them and reload ammo it would create an interesting alternative to blend into the fleet built. Right now missiles for DA are mostly screening your Wanzers outside of a few setups but they have potential to be viable combat style. I would love to see a missile auto forge similar to Ironshell but replaced the ships cargo hold to take it setting it to zero. Something like a 60s autofroge restocking a % of the total ammo so you could use medium Thunderbolt MRM pods and Banish Torpedo Launchers in a lesser manner than the Thrush LRMs. Add in a faster reload timer for the missile that have a reload option and it is a good start. An S-mod upgrade for it could be any combination of a small hit point boost to missiles, RoF for missile, to a % increase to missile damage.
As a side note Thrush LRMs can do work when they have enough speed, HP and reload reduction. Currently running ECCM, prv's Missile Plating, AotD's Unstoppable Force, YunroCore's Automated Missile Racks to see how Mirco missiles and Thrush LRMs would work at a better RoF, flight speed, and more missile HP.
