The issue of player-count when

[Crystalion]

It has no effect on the quality or type of the items it does drop.

Indirectly it can, according to the posts of those more expert than I, due to TC tree traversal (if I understand correctly) for drops of critters like the Countess, when the "type" of drop you wish for is, say, runes.

Admittedly the "type" is not actually changing (she'll drop runes with players 1 or with players 8) but apparently the odds change significantly, so this does seem on-topic.

-- Crys

p.s. I still think I've long ago read posts discussing the drop changes made to nerf v1.10 cow and pindle runs that refer in some way to aspects of no-drop or MFing (but I wouldn't want to be responsible for any wild rumors... next thing you know, people might start behaving strangely, like using "of thieves" and forgoing use of "of harmony" in older versions of D1 ;) )

p.p.s. I don't recall seeing a good explanation of no-drop vis-a-vis Find Item (assuming there is anything to explain)

p.p.p.s. here's a "wild rumor": the drop vis-a-vis players N occurs at monster death, and not according to the HPs/xp of the monster set at monster (players N) creation time... true or false?!? :D