You NAILED it. The AI make him useless. I've materialized behind elites with a hallow red triangle and a solid yellow only to have them turn around and punch me and kill me. I think Doldren's REAL value is anti-antag, and antag-harass. I have had the most success focusing an antag while the rest of the team do the mission, that's IF the rest of the team aren't level zeroes.
I had a game on In Shock and it was me, Doldren, with a bunch of level 0s against Alma, i think level 16-18 antag? And I was getting him a lot, but the others just fed. Man I was so angry with them, because I was actually doing really well against him.
With my limited skill and experience I've noticed he is VERY poor, one of the worst characters, in a game with no antag. He really doesn't offer much. I pick him when I think there is a probability there will be an antag, like in Hangeing by a Thread, In Shock, and Short Fused (the antag cesspools as I unfondly call them) and when there is an antag, he is an asset, but when there isn't, he hurts the team.