don't know if this has come up before, but i find my ships are way too eager to suicide by getting very close to a big enemy that is about to get blown up.
it's especially problematic for ships that have a forward-movement system, like Burn Drive, often literally ramming a dying enemy. aggressive officers that try to use short-range PD weapons for a little extra damage are also problematic. but i've seen it happen to ships without such mobility systems and piloted by steady or even cautious officers, in situations where there's no discernible reason to get very close to the enemy.
it's understandable that it will happen on occasion when a nearby ship (ally or enemy) explodes unexpectedly and/or the victim simply can't move away for some reason (like during a flameout). but it shouldn't happen when there is no reason to even move so close to an enemy in the first place, especially when it is under heavy fire.
if changing the ai to be better at avoiding this danger isn't possible, i'd say the damage of deathplosions should be reduced. i think it's cool that they do deal damage and aren't just a purely cosmetic effect, but maybe it shouldn't one-shot a similarly sized ship that has taken no significant previous damage.
loosing one of your ships right at the end of a hard-fought battle to a stupid mishap like this is just frustrating. :/
/rant