Hudud tips: how big a loop is safe, with real simulation data

How big a loop is safe

Time off your land, seconds	Got home	Average land gained
0–3	97.8%	0.16%
3–6	95.2%	0.61%
6–10	95.3%	1.46%
10–15	97.1%	2.83%
15–25	64%	3.5%

Source: 12 rooms with 9 bots each (4 temperaments), 12 hours of play in total and 82,318 outings. Outings longer than 15 seconds are very rare, so those figures are rough. People play differently from bots, so treat these numbers as a guide, not a law.

What the numbers say

Land grows faster than time. Stretching an outing from 4 to 12 seconds gives almost five times the land while survival barely changes. That is why tiny loops are too slow.
After 15 seconds the risk jumps. A very long trail is a target for everyone nearby: the gain grows more slowly and about one such outing in three fails to get home.
The more land you hold, the more careful you should be. A knock-out costs you everything, and bots hunt players with lots of land more often. While your land is small, outings of 6–15 seconds pay best; past 10% switch to shorter, quicker loops.
Other players are the main danger. 80% of knock-outs come from a cut trail, 17% from head-on collisions and only 3% from your own trail. A bot lasts 154 seconds on average and reaches 7.4% of the map.

Growing fast

Start with a wide arc: a little over a second out, two seconds sideways, then back. The first loop grows your land three or four times.
Keep your trail parallel to your land: the way home stays short and one turn takes you back if danger appears.
Take free land first, then bite into your neighbours. Other players’ land inside the loop becomes yours too.
To claim the ground at the edge, run your trail along the wall: the wall itself is not a border.

How to knock out opponents

Aim not for the head but for the point of the trail farthest from their land. They will not make it back in time.
Before a head-on, compare territories: the percentages are on screen. If you are bigger, the collision favours you; if smaller, step aside.
Waiting on your own land is safe: if an enemy trail runs across it, cut it at leisure, since you have no trail there.
When hunter bots come near, keep your trail short; they only see what is close, so moving away ends the chase. Take special care once you reach first place: the leader is everyone’s target.

Common mistakes

Drawing a spiral and trapping yourself in your own trail. Once the head is inside there is no way out.
Riding off the screen blindly: not seeing an opponent does not mean there is none. Check the territories on the minimap.
Heading straight into a big loop after a good capture. First see who is nearby.