but most players won't figure it out
I don't think you're giving our community enough credit.
They're also not that fast. The Zorg ships that pack a real punch and have the longest range are also often the slowest. It is also possible to outrange the Zorg, by getting long range weapons and hullmods to increase that range (the zorg use a range hullmod that isn't as effective as some of the vanilla ones).
That said, the weapon range and durability of their ships are their strong points. You'll just have to find a strategy that works for you. Tokshen has a series of videos on youtube in which he fights the Zorg. He adapts by using ships that prove to work well vs the Zorg and by equipping them with explosive damage weapons. It has allowed him to effectively fight the Zorg.
No shields also means it is possible to slowly wither them down. Many Zorg ships have their main weapons facing in one direction. So avoid the main weapon and try to pierce the armour safely from the back. Interdictor rays and handler rays are often not enough to breach the shields on cruisers and up.
Basically, the challenge lies in finding a way to beat the Zorg. And what works for one faction may not work with another.
Stats on Zorg ships are the result of careful balancing and testing versus various factions and loudouts. They aren't just slapped together. That's not to say there's no room for improvement. But cutting down weapon range by 50% would just make the faction sitting ducks. Unable to fire at anything, while being taken out from a distance.
And hey! They're supposed to be menacing!