a lack of rares

[Steppenwolf]

Rares can be found on every level, but are much less frequent on normal. Keep in mind that the items that they penalize you for don't have to be on the character you bring online, or in that character's bank. But if you have a "Banned" item on any character in your system.
Here's how I tested it.
I've been playing since April 2003, and had accumulated hacked item before I even knew they existed. Atafter all this time, since it gets rather repetative, I play both Legit and non-legit chars. Around last March or so is when I notice that I wasn't finding rares very often. After I found out that they had supposedly tweeked my system, and I had only found three rares or so from March to May, I decided to test it. I have two xboxes (had to buy a second because my daughters took over the first when they discovered PSO) and I took the 3 1300+ mags, and any 127% weapon I had and moved them over to one of my original characters on my first xbox. To play it safe I sold off any photon spheres I had as well. Then made a run through TTF on ult, found 4 rares on the run. I moved back the 127% weapon, leaving the hacked mags on the old box still. No rares found. Moved the weapons back to the old box, found rares again. Moved just the mags to the newer box, no rares again. I seem to remember that I had to go online again before i started seeing rares offline, but not a 100% sure.