Foreign construction

[The Rock Doctor]

Foreign-built ships

Any nation may contract another player-nation to construct, refit, or repair a ship. The necessary costs are equivalent to the normal costs for whatever action is being performed. Terms of the deal - who pays the dollars and contributes the BP, as well as any profits for the contractor - are otherwise strictly for the contractor and the purchaser to determine.

Ships purchased from a foreign power that are not constructed to a domestic design have an upkeep of 5% instead of the normal 2.5% Any foreign-built ship can be "domestified" by a Refurbishment level refit. This returns the upkeep to 2.5%.

So this makes fairly clear what happens if I build a ship for somebody else, to "my design".

What is the cost difference if I build a ship for somebody else to "their design", with the intention that their subsequent upkeep immediately be the normal 2.5%?

Can I build a ship to somebody's domestic design if they lack the tech to build the ship in the first place?

[Kaiser Kirk]

This is kinda an 'Intent' question, so first stop is Snip.
Who I think is busy.

I will wait several days to give him time to clarify
before I do.

[The Rock Doctor]

No worries.  It's not an issue for 1/20.

[Desertfox]

So... This came up when I ordered submarines from Iberia. Since a "refurbishment" gets rid of the foreign upkeep, we just had the ships cost an extra 20% in $. Basically had a built in refurbishment.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Thats a presumption of mine, and the type of thing that likely belongs in a 'Mod clarifications' thead.

I expect this will occur more 'going forward',
so it would be nice for Snip to opine on what was meant.

[snip]

Not to introduce more complication as is tradition...but here is how I would have interpreted that passage.

It comes down to, IMO, was the ship originally ordered by a nation or was it ordered by one nation and entered service with another. So in the case of a specific design which may be in service in the navies of two (or more) powers, it comes down to the difference in the original ordering nation vs the operator of a specific ship. I think it is logical to operate under the assumption that if a given ship is ordered by a navy that later operates it, the back-end stuff like say a supply of slightly different valve fittings or additional bandages because nobody can read the "Watch Your Head" signs in a different language which the additional upkeep is intended to represent don't come into play. Scenarios:

1) Nation A designs & constructs a ship for Nation B. Since the ship was ordered by Nation B, it is considered a "domestic" design for the purposes of upkeep. This is because from a tracking standpoint, there is no gameplay reason that Nation A had to be the designer of the ship, its a storyline thing only.

2) Nation A designs and puts a ship into service with its own navy. Nation B orders a new build of the same design for its use. This new-built ship is considered a "domestic" design because it was ordered from the keel up for service with Nation B.

3) Nation A designs and intends to put a ship into service with its own navy. At some point after construction begins, Nation B purchases the under-construction ship from Nation A and completes it for service in its navy. This is a foreign design because it began life as a ship intended for Nation A.

I have ether clarified or made it worse, dealer's choice.