It does take a lot of money, but you need not worry about any armor... You can not fit enough armor to make it of any use. The only thing you need invest in is bulge for those unwanted torps. i had like 80 or something and i could take a beating :) get the HA guns (the N's) and you will PIMP all

Plus 55k to upgrade to Oakland when you hit 34. If I were you, I'd play in the DDX till 34, then use the Oak.

Yeah, I spent about 230k on my Atlanta and that was without armor.

My Atlanta cost nearly 240K to outfit with guns, engine, FCS and torps alone. After that you still have the ammo and armour to think about. If you want a better idea of how much your Atlanta will cost, go to "Trainworld.us" and check out the 'Ship Price Calculator'

To buy and outfit an atlanta properly, you need ATLEAST 220K.