I'm not sure that Draco18s complaint is so much that it is too fast, as much as it was that the average difference of lethality between the general case and the "X counters Y" case is too great.
If this is the case, then the average general case lethality could go up, and the average "X counters Y" "bonus" to lethality could go down (increasing the average but also decreasing variance) would satisfy both "sides".
Now of course, this does bring into question of how much do we want ships to be differentiated based on "general case" stats (HP, armor, weapon damage, reload time, range) and "specific case", "enumed" stats (ammo type immunities, hull type bonuses, ship "class" restrictions), and where the relative importance of these two classes of stats should be. Also, how can we provide ways for ships to "feel" different in ways beyond just DPS and overall durability, but without reducing the importance of "general case" DPS and overall durability by too much?
Also, it might be worth making a game mode that is even "slower" than even epic provides.