The year was 2006. My family only had one computer, so I would always watch my older brother play his games while waiting for my turn. One day he found a new game online called Maplestory; a Korean 2D side-scrolling MMORPG with a charming chibi art style. 
I'd be amazed watching him play this game. I thought it was so cool how you could party up and become friends with people from all across the world. I would beg him to let me play it, but he wouldn't let me because the website said you needed to be 13 or older to play, and I was only 11 at the time. Well, I ended up making an account anyway (✿◠‿◠)
When I first started playing, there were only 4 classes to choose from. Warrior, Bowman, Rogue, and Magician. My very first character was a Warrior, because they were the easiest to start out with if you were new and didn't have many Mesos (the in-game currency). I remember the IGN I gave him, but I am too embarrassed to repeat it today due to how cringey it was.
Maple was a very simple game back in the day. You only had one or two damage abilities and the rest were either passive skills or buffs you cast every few minutes. It was a casual grind game with no real mechanics. Kill monsters, level up, get new gear. To be honest, the game-play itself wasn't that fun. It was the friendships I made through socializing with other players that made it so entertaining.
I still remember the friends I made when I first joined, their in game and real life names. I remember all the maple gf's I had (haha) and all the money I spent on the Cash Shop. I remember being so excited finding rare drops from monsters and hitting 2nd and 3rd Job. I remember my first Party Quest and my first boat ride to Orbis.
Although I haven't played the official server since 2010, I've dabbled in old school private servers over the past few years for nostalgic purposes. I can't seem to get this game out of my system. I've played dozens of MMO's since Maple. Grand Chase, LaTale, WoW, DCUO, Blade & Soul, Black Desert Online... But no game has ever been able to recreate the special feelings this game gave me.
What was your first MMORPG? Do you share similar feelings for it? Leave a comment and let me know!
My first MMOPG is Ultima Online! Yes, I am old, but good to be old enough to experiece and enjoy U.O.
I spent way too much time in UO (AOL Legends shard representing!). I also liked to waste time on the test shard hiding/stealthing around and poisoning people to death. Those were the days!
No way!!! I used to love this game :D
Last time I played it was about 6 years ago, my highest level was 32 warrior, I remember hunting golden one eyed serpents deep in dungeons of some dark forest haha.
Evil Eyes in the Sleepywood Ant Tunnel! haha
I always liked how they got away with cash cosmetics being blatant copies and direct references of other anime/games/movies. There was stuff from star wars, FMA, the matrix, all sorts of things. Dressing up your character in that game was a ton of fun.
What private servers did you play on? I remember playing on one that had coders make neat plugins that added a lot of diversity and mini-events you could participate in. For example, trivia, hide and seek and even fashion contests where people had to follow a theme in an elimination per round show-off.
Geez, now I'm going to go listen to the main menu song again
Oh yeah I loved messing around with NX, I probably spent over $500 on it. And yeah, so many cosmetics are ripped from animes. Nowadays they do partnerships with them, I know there is like official Re:Zero, SAO, AOT stuff in game now. I know in JMS they did K-On! and FMA too.
I've played on tons. The most well known would probably be BankaiMS, OdinMS, or MapleRoyals.
GM events were pretty fun in pservers. I remember playing those fashion contests too, cute or boot is what I think it was called.
Maple music is great, you should listen to the track "Missing You". It almost makes me cry sometimes.
Playing Runescape taught me more about commerce and economics than a formal education ever could
Same here, I learned all about supply & demand, buy low sell high etc. from these games. Pretty sure I scammed a few people too
Wouldn't have pegged you for a griefer :-P
My first one was Ultima Online and havent found anything yet that comes close to the gameplay UO had.
Ok ok the graphics are outdated now but back then I think it was 1997 it looked pretty awesome.
I ran my own private shard for a year because I wanted to see the other side of a game.
It was fantastic, I was able to create the world I wanted to and even scripted new things.
Going in GM mode and stealthing arround the world and see the players enjoy the world you created is priceless :)
I've never played Maple Story, but that chat screen looks confusing! lol Uhh.. my first online RPG was Runescape. I had some online friends I would play with regularly in that game. We would quest through the wilderness for loot.