The Poorly Described Game... um, game.

[Rath Darkblade]

Huh. Hmm ... are you The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? *crosses fingers*

[DeadPoolX]

Huh. Hmm ... are you The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? *crosses fingers*

No, it's a much older game than Skyrim.

The computer game I'm thinking of was released in the 90s and is significant for being the first commercially successful game in its own genre that didn't require a separate service (such as AOL, CompuServe, GEnie, Prodigy, or TSN/INN).

[Tawmis]

Is this game a side scroller?

[DeadPoolX]

Is this game a side scroller?

No, it's a third-person RPG, but a very specific sub-genre of RPGs.

[Tawmis]

Is the game party based (where you can have others, live or NPCs "join" the party - similar to Wizardry)?

[Rath Darkblade]

Hmm, I thought it might be Diablo IV (because it involves cannibalism). But now I'm not so sure.

Is it one of the Heroes of Might and Magic games?

[DeadPoolX]

Is the game party based (where you can have others, live or NPCs "join" the party - similar to Wizardry)?

Yes, real people could join you as party members, and in fact, success at the game practically demanded you work together with others (despite how antagonist and adversarial some people could be at times). I don't recall NPCs ever joining player-made groups, but that could be because we were all too busy murdering NPCs.

Hmm, I thought it might be Diablo IV (because it involves cannibalism). But now I'm not so sure.

No, it's not Diablo IV.

BTW, Diablo IV hasn't been released yet, so there's no way it could be an RPG "released in the 90s."

Also, enemies that are cannibals — such as some of them in Diablo IV according to the wiki — don't count because I distinctly mentioned that players (using myself as an example) were the ones to do this, not NPCs or monsters.

HINT: Ignore the cannibalism. It was done by players, but it was never an advertised or even officially accepted thing, and was later patched out which really pissed people off because now we'd have to either purchase or bake or hunt for our food.

Is it one of the Heroes of Might and Magic games?

No, it's not any of the HoMM games. Those are turn-based strategy titles with RPG elements.

HINT: The game I'm thinking of was based on a long-running series of single-player RPGs, despite this particular game not having a single player component at all.

[Tawmis]

Hold on.

I think I know what it is.

Are you ULTIMA ONLINE?

[DeadPoolX]

Hold on.

I think I know what it is.

Are you ULTIMA ONLINE?

Which clues gave it away?

Yes, it's Ultima Online! My brother and I started playing UO when it first came out in 1997 and we have some great memories of being truly awful in that game. To be fair, everyone was a criminal in UO. Sometimes I really think UO was simply a social experiment in psychopathy due to its player base.

Anyway... it's your turn, Tawmis!

[Tawmis]

Hold on.
I think I know what it is.
Are you ULTIMA ONLINE?

Which clues gave it away?
Yes, it's Ultima Online! My brother and I started playing UO when it first came out in 1997 and we have some great memories of being truly awful in that game. To be fair, everyone was a criminal in UO. Sometimes I really think UO was simply a social experiment in psychopathy due to its player base.
Anyway... it's your turn, Tawmis!

I was leaning towards Ultima - but this clue DEFINITELY gave it away.
HINT: The game I'm thinking of was based on a long-running series of single-player RPGs, despite this particular game not having a single player component at all.

I was going to say ULTIMA VII - until you said "this particular game not having a single player component at all."

I remember playing Ultima Online - and I remember PVP being brutal. Go outside to harvest something - get ambushed, killed and looted.

Come back and play as a ghost way too often... you could walk through walls (or at least doors, that wouldn't open if you're a ghost)...

Let me think of something...

[Tawmis]

I remember a computer game, where you control a guy who has to travel to other worlds to collect these pieces for something.

[DeadPoolX]

I remember a computer game, where you control a guy who has to travel to other worlds to collect these pieces for something.

King's Quest: Mask of Eternity?

[Tawmis]

I remember a computer game, where you control a guy who has to travel to other worlds to collect these pieces for something.

King's Quest: Mask of Eternity?

Booo! Hisss! You called it a "King's Quest" game! (Yes, yes, I know officially it's a King's Quest game....)

And no, definitely was not King's Quest: Mask of Eternity (though it'd make sense trying to remember it, as I've tried to wipe it from my mind).

No, this game - it was definitely based on a book.

[DeadPoolX]

Discworld?

[Tawmis]

Discworld?

Not Discworld. But the title definitely started with a "D" now that you mention it!