I have my own theories I'd like to share, and I'd also like to expand on some in this thread.
#1 Each mob holds a certain item(db mobs, super item mobs, met mobs, etc).
#2 The more people on a map the lower your chances of getting the item you are looking for.
One thing I am undoubtedly sure of, is not that the amount of people on a map effects item drops, but the speed in which the mobs die effects the speed in which a "special" mob will spawn, if there is such a thing. This can be proven if you spend alot of time collecting python hearts. When you kill the python and less than 200 of the other mobs, it takes about 5 minutes for the python to spawn again, but when an archer comes and scatters everything, it takes 20-30 minutes for it to spawn. If there is a dragonball mob or 2 in each area, it would probably take longer for it to spawn when there are 2 highlevel archers 1 hit scattering everything, which doesnt give alot of time for new mobs to spawn. This would also explain why areas where mobs spawn extremely fast would yield better hunts. Faster spawn = faster cycling of mobs until that good mob comes.
#3 TQ decides who "deserves" dragonballs, supers, etc.
I've played a game/still play a game that possibly does this. In this game every $10 you make in-game = $1 USD. You can play for free and make 10 cents a day, or deposit and possibly make more or possibly less. Most players are convinced that their luck got better after depositing. This would be a way to weed out contributors and keep those that actually spend money on the game. It takes about 3 years for a non-depositor to get what's called "uber" status, unless they get a special item during a quest or something, even then if they don't use the money they get in a modest fashion, it will not help much. There are hardly any non-depositers that get common rare items, supposedly.
It is entirely possible that TQ does this, but even more unlikely. IMO, it's not a smart thing to do, if they do this. Raising a person's likeliness to get a DB would eliminate their need to buy them. While, in the other game, money doesnt mean anything if you don't train your skills up. The more money they throw at you, the higher chance you'll blow it on stuff you aren't skilled enough to use, raising your need to deposit.
#4 Moonboxes
I have a theory that would yield many sockets; possibly 1-5 sockets a day and being able to "choose" what sockets you will find, if other theories about moonboxes are true. I will not reveal this theory to anyone until it is fully tested, and even after that it will be limited to the closest of friends and those willing to pay what it is worth. Of course, if I end up disproving my own theory I will never mention it again. A few things I can say about moonboxes that I'm sure almost everyone knows already are: Moonboxes tend to give sockets within the first few that you open, I believe opening moonboxes quickly is no good if you open them at a bad time, and I believe your chances of getting something good are higher on a noob char, which ties into another theory.
#5 Pking or higher level lowers luck?
This is one that I believe is possible, but I can't say how likely it is true or not true. It just seems that I have better luck upgrading/hunting with noob chars than my higher level chars. When my archer was below lvl 50 he got 2 supers, 9 +1's 3 elites, a db or 2, and a few dances hunting in new forest, but now he might be lucky to get 5 mets and 3 +1's at lvl 92. This can be because lower level chars have never or hardly ever pked, because at higher levels you need that stuff more, so they give it to you less, or it could seriously just be random.
#6 Luck is randomly generated at character creation?
I'd just like to point out that this theory is not even worth mentioning, because it is nearly impossible to test, and impossible to know how much luck your char has. There is no point creating a new char, hoping it has more luck than your others, if there is a possibility that your new char will have worse luck.
#1 Each mob holds a certain item(db mobs, super item mobs, met mobs, etc).
#2 The more people on a map the lower your chances of getting the item you are looking for.
One thing I am undoubtedly sure of, is not that the amount of people on a map effects item drops, but the speed in which the mobs die effects the speed in which a "special" mob will spawn, if there is such a thing. This can be proven if you spend alot of time collecting python hearts. When you kill the python and less than 200 of the other mobs, it takes about 5 minutes for the python to spawn again, but when an archer comes and scatters everything, it takes 20-30 minutes for it to spawn. If there is a dragonball mob or 2 in each area, it would probably take longer for it to spawn when there are 2 highlevel archers 1 hit scattering everything, which doesnt give alot of time for new mobs to spawn. This would also explain why areas where mobs spawn extremely fast would yield better hunts. Faster spawn = faster cycling of mobs until that good mob comes.
#3 TQ decides who "deserves" dragonballs, supers, etc.
I've played a game/still play a game that possibly does this. In this game every $10 you make in-game = $1 USD. You can play for free and make 10 cents a day, or deposit and possibly make more or possibly less. Most players are convinced that their luck got better after depositing. This would be a way to weed out contributors and keep those that actually spend money on the game. It takes about 3 years for a non-depositor to get what's called "uber" status, unless they get a special item during a quest or something, even then if they don't use the money they get in a modest fashion, it will not help much. There are hardly any non-depositers that get common rare items, supposedly.
It is entirely possible that TQ does this, but even more unlikely. IMO, it's not a smart thing to do, if they do this. Raising a person's likeliness to get a DB would eliminate their need to buy them. While, in the other game, money doesnt mean anything if you don't train your skills up. The more money they throw at you, the higher chance you'll blow it on stuff you aren't skilled enough to use, raising your need to deposit.
#4 Moonboxes
I have a theory that would yield many sockets; possibly 1-5 sockets a day and being able to "choose" what sockets you will find, if other theories about moonboxes are true. I will not reveal this theory to anyone until it is fully tested, and even after that it will be limited to the closest of friends and those willing to pay what it is worth. Of course, if I end up disproving my own theory I will never mention it again. A few things I can say about moonboxes that I'm sure almost everyone knows already are: Moonboxes tend to give sockets within the first few that you open, I believe opening moonboxes quickly is no good if you open them at a bad time, and I believe your chances of getting something good are higher on a noob char, which ties into another theory.
#5 Pking or higher level lowers luck?
This is one that I believe is possible, but I can't say how likely it is true or not true. It just seems that I have better luck upgrading/hunting with noob chars than my higher level chars. When my archer was below lvl 50 he got 2 supers, 9 +1's 3 elites, a db or 2, and a few dances hunting in new forest, but now he might be lucky to get 5 mets and 3 +1's at lvl 92. This can be because lower level chars have never or hardly ever pked, because at higher levels you need that stuff more, so they give it to you less, or it could seriously just be random.
#6 Luck is randomly generated at character creation?
I'd just like to point out that this theory is not even worth mentioning, because it is nearly impossible to test, and impossible to know how much luck your char has. There is no point creating a new char, hoping it has more luck than your others, if there is a possibility that your new char will have worse luck.