Strategy tester settings that quietly change the result

[Amanhasnoname]

Two people running the same strategy in the same tester can get different results because of settings that look unimportant.

The model type is the first. Every tick based on real ticks is far more accurate than control points or open prices only. Using the wrong one can make a scalping system look fantastic or terrible.

Spread settings come next. A fixed spread, the current spread at test time, or variable historical spreads all give different outcomes. Execution delay settings, available in MT5, change the result too.

The date range also matters. A test that starts at a calm period and ends at a calm period can hide the damage from volatile times.

Initial deposit and leverage affect margin behaviour, particularly for strategies with multiple positions.

Documenting every setting alongside the result makes tests reproducible. A one-line record of model, spread, delay, period and deposit avoids confusion later.

Which tester settings have surprised you with how much they changed the outcome?