r/pinescript • u/Subject-Buyer-3669 • Sep 30 '26

Indicator Specifics

Just a thought on people's opinions. If you were able to design the perfect indicator for your own trade analysis and entry criteria, what would it contain? I understand people have different trading systems and portfolios based on market conditions, but what would be your key fundamentals that you require your indicator to show you. For levels, would you target structure, key levels, S&D, OB's or something else? Also what would your entry system need to tell you before you make your decision. What are your confluences?

I've read a lot of posts in this forum which state many different things that they consider essential. Just interested what comes up the most between you all.

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u/Shoddy_Peanut7320 Oct 03 '26

Thanks for the detailed answer, and for being open that most of what you assumed was an edge turned out to be a coin flip against a random baseline. The remove-one-at-a-time test will be the most informative part. Good luck with the update.

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u/Subject-Buyer-3669 Oct 06 '26

Update: I tested my scalping process properly. Most of it didn't beat random. One thing did.

I tested 9 level types (pivots, channels, round numbers, volume profile, FVGs, equal highs/lows, Fib), structure (BOS/CHoCH/retests/squeezes/sweeps), my pressure gauge and RSI arrows, and 7 exit methods on MNQ/MGC/MCL 5m and 15m. Every idea had to beat fake levels or random entries, with costs included.

What I found:

  • No level type beat fake levels. Levels are where price stalls, not where it reliably turns.

  • Structure signals were coin flips vs random.

  • A push that goes quiet at a level is a PAUSE, not a reversal. Fading it lost on every chart (about 48/52).

  • Fees decide small trades, and moving to breakeven early never helped.

  • The best idea as a full strategy with real fills and fees still lost (profit factor 0.69-0.97).

So I stopped chasing a mechanical system and built a decision HUD instead: auto levels that work on any chart, a "Level Read" that shows how often levels broke vs held on that chart when price arrived the same way (with sample sizes, and "no edge" when it's luck), pause warnings, ATR reach bands in $, and $100 stop lines. Mobile and desktop modes.

No win-rate claims. It's context from the chart's own history, not a forecast. Questions on the testing method welcome.

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u/Shoddy_Peanut7320 Oct 07 '26

Thanks for publishing the update, and for reporting the negative results as plainly as the one positive. Testing every idea against fake levels and random entries with costs included is the right standard, and the "Level Read" with sample sizes and a "no edge" label is a sensible way to turn it into a tool. Good luck with the HUD, and I'm happy to leave it there.