On May 5, 2014, at 1:02 PM, Carlos <xxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> I am leaning towards a new (?) interpretation of Law and TL codes: the ***median*** of what is encountered in the planet. The median would always be an integer, is less shaky than the average (requiring less adjustments over the years---the ISS would love that) and the interpretation is straightforward: at least half the population has that tech/law level or better, and at least half has that tech/law level or worse. OK, theoretically you could have a perfect tie, with two medians (very, very unlikely, but possible, so let's say the ISS uses the upper median). This reinterpretation would probably only be relevant for balkanized planets (as intended), since a single government would typically result in relatively homogeneous TL and law level.

Oooh, I like this! I like this like I like the tidal flux redefinition of the '100 diameter rule': it encompasses the OTU rule but clarifies and extends the effect to both ends of the bell curve, and it makes the rule clearer in effect. (a very dense planet and a very light planet of the same diameter will not have the same jump-safe radius)

>
> Another advantage (thinking of parts 2 and 3 above) is that in any planet where a single country encompasses 51% or more of the population, the planetary law and TL are trivial to compute: they are identical to those of the main country. That's not true for averages or for the around-the-starport rule.

It also lets people develop more realistic worlds without doing severe damage to canon. (since any non Gov=7 world will automatically have a major country >51% of the population; you can have simply plop little countries into canon worlds without a hitch.)

>
> Thoughts, anybody? I am getting quite interested on this, so I suspect I will eventually come up with a bunch of home rules... hm, do we have "Rule grabs" in the list?
>

We do now :-)

--
Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group

Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs