Just some thoughts on this thread though since I just started playing you may feel free to discount what I don't know of history.

Reading this thread makes me think the IMMS here are trying to deal with a very tough situation and can't give a full explanation of how things work because that would undermine whatever system they have in place to regulate wands. So their answers may sound less than satisfying.

Second point, if we give benefit of the doubt to the IMMS then chances are they have been telling the truth, but only as far as they are willing to, ie, the wands system isn't fully understood by the general public. Some more than others, but still its not understood.

I'd like to offer up a few purely speculative ideas on types of things that might be in place. They can be totally wrong or as close as you care to think to reality, but remember I am new here.

What if finding wands isn't just a matter of where but when? How often you visit a place or even series of places matters? What if "not killing" certain mobs in the area matters?

What if what matters is how much of the surrounding area you have explored or even ranked in to discourage people walking right to the hiding spots to find a wand?

What if code takes into account how often you explore "new to you" areas and rewards this behavior by having wands pop up later on as you search for wands? I know the game tracks where I go since I get mps and xp from time to time.

What if its none of these and has a very counter-intuitive system in place, again to reward certain behaviors they want, and punitive measures for those they do not?

So these thoughts mostly center on behaviors that might depend on timing, manner, or even behavior while you are not even looking for a wand. I offer these thoughts, again as pure speculation, so that perhaps Horatio, there are more things under heaven than dreamt of in your philosophy.

I think its much more possible that the system isn't understood and IMMS can't/are tired of/won't defend their reasoning since they don't wish to give people clues how to game the system.