i d be pleased to suggest deactivating all but 4 turrets on other gunships while decreasing their size down and increasing the agility - along with a small powerplant ( 4 zoner turrets drain it dry fairly quickly )
can only say something about the order gunboat - it trades off agility for twice the guns of the zoner gunboat on which it is based on. it has 8 guns and all fire forwards.
the tridente also has 8 guns - but 6 fire straigh forward - while 2 have a generouc rearwards arc but can fire when the tridente makes a sharp turn. ( basicly a standards GB with 2 additional turrets in rare occasions )
point is - they are simply different ships...
the hathor can kill other gunboats - all alone AND keep weapons for anti-fighter duty.