LRM

I came into this thread expecting yet another 'LRMs are overpowered!' thread...obviously that is not the case.

If LRMs seem weak to you then that means they probably don't fit your playstyle. They're my second most powerful ship (right behind carriers) personally so I can't really empathize. I have the same isses with heavy cruiser and light frigates that you seem to be having with LRMs, they seem underpowered because they don't fit my playstyle. Use the ships you're best with would be my advice.

If you really want to use LRMs well then keep them at long range (Heavy Cruisers and capitals are good for this) and use their abilities, and research whatever missile tech you can. They're moderately useless in a melee. As for facing it makes sense to me. While missiles can turn, it's far less efficient and slower, if your target is too close the missiles won't turn properly to hit them. Sidewinders can be fired at large angles to the target but it's still air combat doctrine to put your target directly in front of your plane before firing. Stargate style missile firing is just not a very good idea, it means your missiles hit with less speed and accuracy which is bad.

The LRM are actually really good, mate. Get a screen of kodiaks or cobalts in front to soak up the shots, and the LRMs should tear things up from the back. An Akkan cap ship with its range increase also works well for keeping the LRMs away from harm. In the early game you can even get away with just having LRMs + your cap ship. They're also quite cheap and require little supply, so you can mass them (as in, 50% or more of your fleet is LRMs). They're not a heavy artillery unit, so you can't just have a couple sitting in the back and expect them to make big kills. But get enough, upgrade missiles, and they tear through stuff like nothing else.

It takes a bit of timing but an ambush by a fleet of LRM can severely decimate a enemy fleet.

nice to know how to better use them.

thats a great idea using them to ambush. gonna give it a go.

It's all about combined arms, as the others have said.

Get the cobalts out in front of them, and the LRMs can just plug away at your opponents. Unless your opponent micromanages the battle, they can sit there with impunity and keep firing missiles while the cobalts and kodiaks act as a wall.

A fleet composed completely of LRMS is toast against any decently composed force. But give them protection and you will see why many think they are overpowered.

As stated before it all depends on your playstyle just like choosing your race. I enjoy keeping my range and trying to screw over enemy fleets before they reach my own so they either reach it shredded or run.
It also depends alot on the race I must admit. I don't play TEC (Well I did but don't like it), but Illum's or Assailiants (misspelled I know...) with a proper unit defending them from being torn apart can be a horror. Try having a few robotic cruisers among them when playing TEC as protection and have the missiles fully upgraded.
They should be pretty much tearing stuff up side down than as long as your meatshields (Usually Kodiak's + Robotic's) don't die

I'd think the only reason a ship would be facing its opponent to fire a missile would be to give it native acceleration, but in sosa ships don't move, so i doubt it would make a difference.
I mean, all you have to do is drop the missile down a hatch facing the right way and have it ignite after a couple of seconds.

LRM frigates have forward facing launchers. Advent have Front + 1 each side, Vassari have 1 Front/Rear + 1 ea side for a total of 4. It makes sense to me, if the weapon is on a hardpoint and not a turrent, it needs to aim its weapons at its target to fire.

LRM work very well in clusters. The more you have, the more dramatic the effect will be. I try to work them in groups of 5 early, 10 late. I'll wait at a rally point until I have a group of 5 or 10, and only when I meet the numbers do they catch up with the fleet.

Vs the AI, jump them in last. Let your ships get stuck in, then jump them in. Sprinkle in support ships (Command Cruisers, Repair Cruisers, Flak Frigates)

I played one game when someone made an exclusive LRM fleet which was followed by a wipe up fleet later. It dominated.