Computing socre skyrockets when set "Use time" on start date...

[mp Ch]

The time is 19:24 when I print screen.

When I check 「Use time」 box and set a previous time of today (as in the picture), the UrgencyScore changes from 1.005884350( the 「today」one)  to 1.113269133(the 「18:00」 one). No due date and I didn't change any other factors (Importance/urgency slider/weekly goal etc.)

I have re-read the mlo help doc, but didn't find the answer.

I am really curious about the reason, please get back to me..

[mp Ch]

All the to-do ordering options are set default except that I check 「Using increased priority for overdue tasks」.

在 2018年9月6日星期四 UTC+8上午12:33:53，mp Ch写道：

[Alyona (MLO Support)]

With the default to-do ordering settings an overdue task has higher computed score than a task with due date and time in future or without it.  And the closer due date of task, the higher its computed score.

[mp Ch]

I'm sorry, but this is not the answer to my question. Because the only difference is that the far lower scored one(Today) has no time, and the higher one(18:00) has. It is the start date that I had asked about. As in the help:

The StartDateScores of them should be: Today's>>18:00's.

By the way, could you please define "now" in the above picture? I have calculated the score with the "use time" one, and found that the value of "now" increased by 20 per hour. Why is it 20, not 60 or else?

[Alyona (MLO Support)]

I don't quite understand what the following means: The StartDateScores of them should be: Today's>>18:00's. I'm not the author of the computed-score priority algorithm (the author is mathematician), that's just how I understand it and it seems logical to me:

For start date you set up time from the past. It means you should have already started working on the task, therefore this task is urgent for now.

Another task is not so urgent, it has indefinite start time and you can start working on it in hour or even in 3 hours - it will still be "Today".

According to the formula Task with the start time has higher "Elapsed" value than Task without start time and this "Elapsed" value accordingly affects the final DateScoreContribution.
"Now" in your case is 19:24 when you printed screen.

[mp Ch]

Thanks. 

As to your answer, here is my question: How does the algorithm determine the value of "Elapsed" when set StartDate without Usetime? It seems to me that this is not clear in your answer(in the help, either). 

If this is a secret, I would stop asking...

[Alyona (MLO Support)]

The algorithm was elaborated and optimized by outside expertise. It is well-functioning all this time and we do not delve into the intricacies. Presumably, when StartDate has no Usetime its value is 23:59 (the very end of the day)