You're probably the only logical person in this argument so far. For that, I commend you...
Being a person that works with actual electricity for a living, I just find it silly how people who haven't worked in the electrical industry think they know a thing about 'realism' when it comes to power distribution. I prefer something with a harsh penalty, mostly because if you do balls up something on the job and burns up a device down the line, there is a real harsh price (be it economic or hazard) to pay for that....
But that may be just a personal bias.
I find it silly that such realism is required for a fantasy game.
Furthermore, I find it ludicrous that machines explode, destroying everything within three meters of itself, the very instant it is subjected to higher voltage than it should take. You claim to work with actual electricity for a living. Tell me, are you familiar with the concept of a circuit breaker or fuse? How about a surge protector? Would you, as an engineer, ever plan or design a piece of heavy machinery, or at least a commercial wiring infrastructure, which does not incorporate them to avoid critical damage to components in the event of a power surge? Have you never heard of wiring code and building ordinances?
Power going to machines from anywhere, be it in residential or commercial use, is standardized. You know the machine is going to work when you plug it in because the plug is wired for the output the machine is designed to receive. You see, there's these things called 'industry standards', in case you aren't familiar with them. It is put in place to prevent just such problems as IC2 faces daily.
Even in such extremely ridiculous cases, it will not cause massive explosions. It might cause an electrical fire, but generally the worst that will ever happen is the machine will burn out and become useless. Explosions are pointless, unrealistic, and punitive.
Everybody 'works with actual electricity' for a living. Or do you think computers are somehow powered by magical faeries? Is it your claim that you actually work in the energy industry? If so, then you should damn well know these things, and realize just how silly it is to imagine an industrial infrastructure that does not contain these basic failsafes designed to prevent these sorts of problems.
Yes, if you do balls up something and burn up a device, there is a real harsh price. That machine. Which then needs to be replaced. Which can be upwards of seven figures, depending on the machine. It might also start an electrical fire, depending on what combustible materials are nearby. But it doesn't explode causing everything in several meters to also be destroyed. Losing a machine, I can see. Have it turn the machine into the machine block. That would be fair. Explosions are unnecessarily punitive and unrealistic.
