The Realm Online was my introduction to MMORPGs. It was the first one I ever played back in 1997 or 98 or so, and is really how I judge all other MMOs by comparing them to this one. From
From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Realm_Online
The Realm Online, originally known simply as The Realm, is a second generation MORPG (multiplayer online role playing game). The Realm Online is still being played by a small number of players, and is known as one of the few MMORPGs that is still dial-up friendly and easy to playHere is a short video introduction to this game, and some history on it.
The Realm was launched in December 1996 for Windows PC[1] It was designed in the tradition of graphical MUDs,[2] before the popular usage of the terms "massively multiplayer" and "MMORPG"
Since this time, I've played many other MMOs. But for some reason I always think back to this game because it is where I started.