Purchase and Maintenance Costs

Each month the management of the fleet requires some investment of the nation’s resources. These are tracked as Resource Points (RPs). The RPs represent the industrial and raw material capabilities of the member planets.

Ships require RPs to be spent for the production of each vessel. The RP cost of each ship equals that of its SU amount divided by 10, multiplied by its Size (and then rounded). For example, an Ambassador class heavy cruiser uses 1,961 SUs and is of Size 8. In the initial construction of an individual Ambassador, 1,569 RPs are spent (1961/10*8 = 1,568.8 rounded to 1,569). Likewise, an Oberth class surveyor uses 1,013 SUs, is Size 4 and requires 405 RPs in construction (1013/10*4 = 405.2, rounded to 405).

When ships undergo refits, the removal of outdated equipment and installation of updated equipment is ‘free.’ But, the construction/purchase of that newly installed equipment did involve the expenditure of RPs, which is usually in bulk amounts. In any case as to how it is purchased, the SUs of the equipment equal their price in SUs. (Can this be altered to reflect a reduction in cost after a certain number of years?)

Maintenance of ships require RPs, as well. In this case, the RPs are spent annually and equal the purchase amount (or current equivalent) divided by the number of operational years (representing the expected operational lifetime of the ship). The above Ambassador class ship, therefore, would cost 78.45 RP per annum to maintain (1,569/20 = 78.45). Initial Maintenance Costs are not rounded, as the class of ship is tracked in toto and that number is rounded up. Ships that are older than their established operational lifetime (usually about 20 years) see a 10% increase of the initial maintenance cost every year. So, a class run of 13 Ambassadors (each less than 20 years old) would cost – in maintenance – 1,020 RPs every year. But, that same class 25 years after construction (assuming they were all 25 years old and still commissioned) would now each cost 125.52 RPs (78.45 x 1.6 = 125.52) or 1,632 RPs (125.52 x 13 = 1,631.76, rounded up) for the class. Obviously, at some point, the ships will be decommissioned because of the expense of maintaining them may be considered too high.

As stated above, a ship may undergo a refit/overhaul, which will extend its life. When this occurs, the ship reverts to a maintenance cost relative to its current SU amount, without the penalty of extra maintenance being required. A ship may undergo 2 full overhauls during its operational lifetime (usually one at the end of the first, and the second at the end of the next), resetting the clock each time. After that point, though, any further overhauls only keep the ship technologically-relevant; the maintenance increase of 10% each year is unavoidable.

Ex: The USS Gallant, a Defiant class escort, is built in 2374, with an operational lifespan of 12 years and using 1,787 SUs (894 RP), Size 5. For each of those 12 years following commissioning, the vessel costs 74.5 SUs in MRP (maintenance RPs). When the vessel is 12 years, it is unable to get to a drydock for an immediate overhaul, so for that year it costs 81.95 RPs, with an added 10% every full year. But its travels take it to a drydock in 2387 (its 13th year). After the overhaul, the ship now uses 1810 SUs, and its maintenance requirement is re-set to the 1/12th of the current ‘purchase’ price (now 150.83 SUs). The ship now has an added 12 years of operational life. In 2399, the ship enters drydock on schedule and maintains its normal MRP amount and another 12 years is added to its lifespan. But now, at the end of the 3rd set of 12 years, the MRP will rise, no matter the status of overhauls, 10% each year, until the ship is mothballed or decommissioned.

A fleet is more than just its ships and many items require purchase and maintenance. The following table lists the expense of both:

Purchase and Maintenance RP Amounts

Type	Purchase	Maintenance
Starship	SUs/10*Size	Purchase RPs/20 + 10% increase after set years
Shuttlecraft	SUs/10*Size	Purchase RPs/20 + 15% increase after set years
Fightercraft	SUs/10*Size	Purchase RPs/20 + 20% increase after set years
Space station	SUs/10*Size	Purchase RPs/20 + 5% increase after set years
Warehouse*	SUs/10*Size	Purchase RPs/20 + 1% increase after set years
Camp*	SUs/10*Size	Purchase RPs/20
Spacefield*	SUs/10*Size	Purchase RPs/20
Academy Campus*	SUs/10*Size	Purchase RPs/20
Planetary Shipyard*	SUs/10*Size	Purchase RPs/20
Drydock	SUs/10*Size	Purchase RPs/20 + 2% increase after set years