Late 90s free, first-person, browser-based online RPG

[ultimatecarl]

(Borrowed the format from /r/tipofmyjoystick on Reddit!)

Platform(s): PC, played in browser (I'm about 90% sure it was browser-based at least, but I suppose I could be mistaken on this!). Likely a Java applet, though again that's not certain.

Genre: Online RPG; I wouldn't really call it an MMO, however.

Year: Late 90s, I think. Somewhere between '96 up to 2000, most likely.

Graphics/art style: 2D prerendered art and text. A lot of the game was text, but there was a first-person viewpoint like many of the old gold box RPGs. Shadow of Yserbius is a very good approximation, though it is not that game or either of its sequels. From the like two non-thumbnail screenshots I can find of it, the now-defunct game Panumbra also looks very similar (and may in fact be what I'm thinking of, but since I can't find any more screens and the game is now dead, I can't really confirm. I don't think that's it, though).

Characters: None that immediately stick out. Players created their own characters, but I don't believe there were any visuals for PCs. Fairly certain the starting area had you fighting the standard fantasy RPG staple of rats.

Gameplay: Character creation was very involved, though unlike most goldbox-type RPGs you only made a single character. There were many different skills you could invest in at creation - multiple types of magic, combat skills for various weapon types, and *possibly* some thieving/item creation skills (though I'm less certain of that).

Other details: The game definitely wasn't too demanding, as I remember simply playing it on my father's work laptop with a dialup connection. Like I said, I wouldn't really consider it an MMO, but it was definitely multiplayer and had to be played online. I'm also wanting to think that you started the game in a sort of "safe zone" (though it still looked like a dungeon) that was instanced for you alone that had some starter equipment and newbie rats to kill, then you had to go through a blue portal to access the main game world proper.

I think I found it through an online game listing site like MPOGD or somesuch.

Also as mentioned, the Yserbius series seems very close and is practically a dead ringer, but I never paid for the game I'm thinking of or a sub to any "game zone" - it was just a completely free game I played in the browser. In fact, I doubt the game even exists anymore, but it'd be nice to find it on some old game list or some screenshots or some confirmation that I didn't just completely imagine it!

Games it definitely is not: Shadow of Yserbius or any of the other Yserbius games, Meridian 59, Neverwinter Nights, or anything in this list. I've also already checked MobyGames and the UVL.

Thanks in advance!

[Rwolf]

There is a free RPG called Dragon Court which still seems to be alive, maybe that's the one?

It was mentioned at the MPOGD site in -98 (archive.org) and what images I've seen look similar to what you describe, it was made in Java and was played in a browser. Guilds were available, but otherwise it was described as a random encounter hack&slash, from the reviews I found.

edit: looking a bit deeper, it seems the game maintainer is not active any more, so I'm not sure if it's still playable.

http://wild.ffiends.com/DCourt/Game.stm

http://www.mpogd.com/games/game.asp?id=199

[ultimatecarl]

After looking through the screenshots, that doesn't seem to be it, but it definitely looks like something I would have played had I known about it at the time. Good guess, thanks!

[dnedry]

Just wanted to revive this thread since I think this is the game I've been looking for for a decade +.

I remember it had a little square "avatar" for every online player in the area. Enemies would spawn and everyone in the room could attack an enemy for XP. It played very much like a MUD but had these little graphics to it like the avatars and a little flavor picture for each area.

I had a "thief" like character who used daggers and I could go stealth. When I went "stealth" my avatar would disappear to show I was stealthed.

I used to play games everywhere so not sure where I found it, mplayer, AOL, sierra online, or whatever other various online game sites were out there.

I remember it being free but it might have had a premium way to pay for the game to get more out of it.