Free Online Role Playing Games
RPG's are the latest craze in gaming circles. RPG stands for role playing games. These are games in which you take on the identity of a character, and play that character throughout the game. Other than this common theme, though, one RPG may look nothing at all like another. Some RPG's are played live and in person. A group of people will get together (over dinner usually), and play out a mystery or planned theme of some sort. They will dress in costume, decorate the room accordingly, and even plan a menu to fit. This is a wonderful spin on an otherwise boring dinner party. The classical Dungeons and Dragons style game is another RPG that can be played live. These types of RPG's are usually much longer in running, lasting days, weeks, or even years (if you get a really enthusiastic bunch!) Other RPG's are played on the computer. Here you are controlling the movements of a chosen character. The amount of freedom you have with your character development and choices will vary from game to game. Some offer fewer options, but these will usually have much more action and fighting scenes (so it all balances out in the end). We will focus on the free online role playing games that are available to you.
There are many wonderful free online role playing games to choose from. Your personal style and preferences will determine which game is right for you. Do you enjoy knights and dragons? Maybe you are more of a futuristic/robot take over /metallic programming-head. There are plenty of space adventures, as well. If you like mythology, the anime (Japanese animation) formatted games usually have plots based around the ancient oriental gods and folklore (these are also good if you have a soft spot for small furry creatures!) Would you rather make most of the decisions for your character, or play in a more rigid structure that allows for less free choice? Does plot matter to you, or are you more interested in the combat and adventure aspects of the game? All these questions will help to determine which of the numerous RPG's are good for you.
One other consideration before viewing the games is whether you would like to play alone or be a part of an MMORPG. MMORPG's are massive multiplayer online role playing games. These games have players from all over the world competing in the same challenges and competitions as you. Sometimes you will fight against these players to gain experience and challenge points, and other times you can join together to become allies. MMORPG's are often enjoyed for their chat function, which allows you to converse with the other members of the gaming world. Share gaming strategies, tips, and anything else you feel like with complete strangers who all have one thing in common; no life. Just kidding, you can all appreciate a good RPG game.
Once you've allowed yourself time to mull over these all-important details, it is time to try out some games. Most online RPG's will require an initial registration (don't worry, this is free too!) They'll ask you to choose a character name (very important, don't goof up on this one), and sometimes a few details about your character. Then they will email you a secret access code to their site, and, if you can find it, you can begin playing their game. This whole process never takes more than a few minutes (if it does, it means they are really serious about their game, and you might want to make sure you're ready for such an intense commitment. It's just a game for crying out loud!) Here's a good site to try if you have no idea where to start looking for free online role playing games: Mr. Free Free, as you may have guessed, has tons of free online role playing games to choose from. So try out a few, and see which one is most to your liking. The only way to find that perfect game is to go through a few of the options. You'll stumble on a couple of really lousy games, but trial and error is the genius of mankind. So get out there, and play to your little heart's content. You're sure to find at least one or two (usually five or six) free online role playing games that have you written all over them. (For more great sites and games, view my other RPG related articles.)