How would Royal Navy designs change if Fullmetal Alchemist-style replication turned raw materials directly into complete ships?
Short answerBritain would favor very large standard designs and wartime material stockpiles, turning industrial preparation into rapid mass fleet expansion.
NotesThe Fullmetal Alchemist-style premise turns raw materials directly into complete ships. Separate production of guns and other components would no longer constrain construction. The Royal Navy would respond with very large designs and stores of raw material prepared before a war. Once fighting began, those reserves could rapidly become additional ships. The naval advantage comes from combining the fictional replication mechanism with Britain's ability to accumulate and supply the necessary material.