I guess it would be possible to add a 'scatter' effect to the CMs like the Hellfire rockets.... but for the most part, CMs are merely dropped out of the ship, rather than launched... this is an original vanilla thing, and changing it, not sure how it would affect balance.
If refire is reduced it will affect PVP, and also CD spamming doesn't work as well outside of Conneticut when using bats/bots - you simply don't have enough ammo to keep it up.
Due to server lag you sometimes have to fire several CD's because tracking is messing up. If the refire rate is lowered it would lead to a lot of frustration when players manage to run due to a laggy server and not due to skill at evading CD's.
When you see the servers PVP fighter-aces duking it out, they are quite skilled at dodging the mine/CD combo with the current explosion radius - I think that it is all dependent on the skill of the player. Even when you fire your CD in PVP it is based on skills - some get the timing right every single time, and others don't. And using the reinforced cruise disruptor on a fighter isn't really efficient in terms of energy usage and refire rate, so we already have a CD aimed at the larger ships.
Wow....I was just thinking the other day how they needed a beef up. Probably cause I use them for their true purpose.....preventing the cruise engine from charging. Never is it in battle.....im not coordinated enough:P
Compromise? Make CD's do only what their meant for. Or make them shut the engine off:)or get a protest together and have people stop using them in ways they arent supposed to <---best joke of the day:D
As a note, these are merely my observations and it seems to follow this ingame. There is a 'correct' way of CMing. Spamming the button is not the correct way. If you spam the button then the CD, that was 'lost', follows the 'latest' CM which is often right next to your ship. And since the TCD has such a large blast range it typically hits you in it, even if it doesn't hit -you-.
If you press the CM very few times with intervals between them a much higher percentage of CDs will miss you. I tried this out of my RM GB and actually managed to hit cruise and fly for a good 5-6 seconds before one finally hit me. And this is CD spam from about 6-8 ships.
Distance is also very important for CM effectiveness as you have to increase the range between your ship and the CM that was dropped so you don't get hit in the blast radius. If you're less than ~2k away from the ship its unlikely you will escape. Mainly due to the largest 'flaw' in cruise, and that's you have to cut your speed to impulse to charge.