Progressing through the game re: percentages

It had come to my attention very recently that there are high level players that have a large discrepancy between their percentage to the next rank and their point value. I had always assumed that these two went hand in hand, as did many of the people that also play Mousehunt that I know. However, an obvious conflict came to mind almost immediately for me: If points are the driving factor in determining your rank, then a) why does Derr even exist as the 'most difficult' tribal isle area, b) what is the logic behind ever leaving Furoma once you get high-end tactical traps, and c) why do these large discrepancies exist from player to player?

In order to find out more about this, I started documenting how many percentage points I gain for each hunt, regardless of outcome. I noticed right away that not only do I gain fractions of a percent for catching mice, but also periodically for sounding the horn or checking hourly. It appeared that I would gain a hundredth of a percent towards the next rank for about every five failed trap checks or horn sounds. Catching mice in both Derr and Elub (where Hydrogen Bond took data) seemed to show that points correlate strongly with percent increase to the next rank. However, there is one very interesting mouse in the discussion- the Renegade mouse. This mouse, the strongest in Derr outside of the 'big 3,' -should- be worth about 0.007% due to its extremely low point value. However, it appeared from my data to be worth closer to 0.100%, which makes it an exception. A similar exception was seen in Elub- the Vanquisher mouse was worth 0.03% more than its point value should dictate.

So, it appears that points are the true driving force behind progressing through the game. However, more data must be collected in regards to just a couple more things.

First, it remains to be seen if there is a cap on percent received at a given time from a mouse. For example, hydra and troll mice were in existence at the Festive Comet at Christmas. If a novice player hit the 0.1% chance (or whatever it was) of catching a mouse like the troll worth more than 8,000 points, does that player see a sudden, multiple-percent jump towards their next level?

Second, do mice have a different return based on the hunter's rank or the number of the specific mice one has caught? For example, does a grandmaster in Furoma earn different percent relative to point value than a hero does? Also, does a mice provide a bonus when caught for the first time by a hunter? I think the answers to both of these questions are yes, but that is more of a hunch than anything else. I feel like I receive more percent towards next level when catching a mice for the first time but I am unsure.

Third, is there some mysterious "mouse value quotient" that is the real source of percent earned, and it correlates very closely with point value? I think this makes a lot of sense, or else hunters in Derr would be at a marked disadvantage to progressing through the game compared to hunters in either Nerg or Elub. The renegade mouse is really the key to this bit of info, and I think that this is something that is true as well (the quotient).

The purpose of writing this isn't to unlock the key to the quotient but rather to provide a microcosm of insight to how to most effectively progress through the game. As more data comes through more info will be added to this.