From my personal perspective, I will normally consider the below when forecasting for 4D game:
Prize : I will usually forecast with emphasis given to numbers that were drawn before in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and the Starter prize. My idea is that it's these areas that will really give you the cash when you win. As for the Consolation prize, it's just a bonus.
Permutation : This is one of the important point to consider when playing with 4D game. Just imagine you suddenly found the lucky 4D number and decide to bet for it. DON'T ! Please do a first hand check on the hit history in the website of the respective outlets. You might be surprised that the number you had found had never came into the striking list at all since the outlet started the operations. Instead, a permutation of that number might be drawn more often as compared to the original number that you have found. If that's the case, do you think it's wise to bet on that number ?
Past Occurence : To me, I only will consider betting on a number given that it has been drawn at least for 8 times and above in the past. Anything less than that, the chance is pretty slim. This will include consideration of the permutations of the number in the past as well.
Coupling Number : Let's assume the number is broken into the form of 1D-3D. Sometimes, the 3D appears together very often but coupled with a different 1D. So, it's good to spend sometime to have a look at what 1D coupled more often with the 3D.