Would you mind running the numbers for some home-made thermite? It isn't that expensive, as I understand it.

So your argument that something cheaper shouldn't be able to do so much damage to something so much more expensive is actually very, very much wrong...

The argument fails in terms of "do serious damage to" or "cripple", but it doesn't necessarily fail in terms of "blowing the whole thing to smithereens". Ships in EVE are blown to smithereens, there's no such thing as "blow a hole in the side of" or "cripple".

How much TNT would it take to actually totally blow up an entire oil tanker so that all that's left is a few bits of scrap metal?

The argument fails in terms of "do serious damage to" or "cripple", but it doesn't necessarily fail in terms of "blowing the whole thing to smithereens". Ships in EVE are blown to smithereens, there's no such thing as "blow a hole in the side of" or "cripple".

How much TNT would it take to actually totally blow up an entire oil tanker so that all that's left is a few bits of scrap metal?

(I hope you will agree that 14K pound of C4 or TNT, used appropriately, would destroy a tanker [i.e. - make it useless] just as few cheap-fit dessies can destroy [or make useless] a hulk)

TBQH - From my time in the Navy, I could probably sink a tanker with much less than 14K pounds of C4.... Using shaped charges I could probably get by with 500 to 750 pounds alone... The thing is "appropriately applied". The *point* being that the proper application of small forces yield HUGE results (i.e. Dessie vrs Hulk).

You *are* welcome.

Many posts are appearing of late asking if the penalty for suicide-ganking is too low. From the gankees point of view, it probably is. They lost a ship. I will now put to you the other side of the argument.
Suicide-gankers blow people up for many reasons. It may be for profit, in response to a player event or in many cases, they do it simply because it's fun[ny]. Now lets talk about penalties.

The gankee loses a ship & it's mods, plus whatever else resides in the cargohold.
The ganker loses a ship & it's mods, whatever resides in the cargohold, sec status, gains a 15 minute GCC timer, can be shot by anyone for the duration & receives no insurance payout. Can you really say the penalties are too low?

The penalty for suicide ganking is just fine where its at there, ghostrider. No, there's noo need to change.

In Eve Online we have wrecks.

Excuse me.

Is this the thread for risk averse, combat frightened morons to cry about a mechanic that they are in no way required to participate in?

Let me just say this:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Mr Epeen

Yeah, have you looked at a wreck recently? They're just some hunks of scrap metal, in no way resembling either the shape or even size of the original craft.

So my question to the knowledgeable person was, what would it take not just to sink a tanker or put it out of commission, but to actually blow the whole thing up to the analogue of a "wreck" in EVE - you know, what you have after you get the big 'splosion, the one with smithereens flying everywhere?

Yeah, have you looked at a wreck recently? They're just some hunks of scrap metal, in no way resembling either the shape or even size of the original craft.

So my question to the knowledgeable person was, what would it take not just to sink a tanker or put it out of commission, but to actually blow the whole thing up to the analogue of a "wreck" in EVE - you know, what you have after you get the big 'splosion, the one with smithereens flying everywhere?

Real life analogies don't translate well to a video game, other than in broad strokes. Again, the point is, a very (relatively) cheap force, if applied correctly can cause great damage.

Loss of any ship is no loss. They know its going to be lost, at the time they undock.

completely obliterating a ship at least in reality would take precision demolition. even a USN carrier could not turn a merchant vessel into something like an EVE wreck.... But the Mythbusters could.... remember the cement mixer...

yes just imagine the explosion if one say.... Filled an entire oil tanker with that mining explosive. and I mean every tank right up to the top with bags of mining charges or AMFO... Now that would be an explosion.

"high security" space...