[TML] [Merchant Shipping] Some ideas I came up with to make merchant shipping more interesing

[Jerry W Barrington]

On 4/18/08 10:20 PM, "shadow at shadowgard.com" <shadow at shadowgard.com> wrote:

> You really *don't* even out the load much more once you get past
> neighborhood level. You no longer get the minor swings, but you still
> get the *big* swings.
> 
> Only way to deal with those is power storage or "peaking" generators.
> 
> I suspect that storage is a better solution given Traveller tech.

Perhaps "leveling" isn't quite the concept I was looking for, rather
"smoothing". 

Yeah, the major swings will still be there.  But it's like the theory with
the bell curve... with few "switches", the "surge" is more likely to be a
precipitous rise or drop.  Adding more households makes the curve smooth and
smear out.  Some people give themselves 2 hours to get ready for work, some
15 minutes.  I may keep my thermostat at X while you keep yours at Y.  Even
if we live next door, my house is shadowed by your damn big oak.  I kick my
kids off the game machine at 7pm where you let them play until 9, etc.