JvC stands for Jon van Caneghem. This was the guy who set up New Worlds Computing (NWC), and who was the leading light in creating MM1-5. He then judged that NWC did not have the resources to fund properly the next step in computer gaming, which he thought would be the on-line multi-user games, and so sold out to 3DO. In collaboration, they produced MM6-8, but they lost their way later on and almost immediately after the launch of MM9, 3DO went belly-up. (I suspect that was when they put the bean-counters in charge of the company.) By that time, I understand that JvC had become thoroughly disenchanted, and had virtually no input into the MM9.I have grave doubts about on-line multi-user gaming, because of the "players" who get their kicks by hanging round the starting point and preying on new players. I find that not only distasteful but positively abhorrent. I did hear some years ago of one game where winners were allowed to attain a level where they could masquerade as any other character. One guy talked about taking on the persona of a newbie just to tempt such people. They were also allowed to make those people's characters "double-dead" - in MM terms, eradicated and non-resurrectable, which I though t was a fitting punishment.
