Hello Everyone,
Before I continue, this game will in no way compete with Sarah and the Castle of Witchcraft and Wizardry! It's an entirely different type of game.
This description/review is rather lengthy so here's the URL for the impatient types who just want to explore it on their own.
http://www.hexrpg.com
I found it back in December and though I haven't been active in a few weeks, I do plan to go back for I have enjoyed myself. The game is a virtual Hogwarts. You can take classes, shop at Diagon Alley/Knockturn Alley/Hogsmeade (the latter is only open on real-life weekends), role-play, or get involved with many contests and/or the various publications (The Daily Prophet, Witch Weekly, etc). None of the actions are mandatory. Some come for the role-play, others take the classes, while still others just hang out to make friends.
The game is forum-based though actions such as buying from shops is automated, no posting necessary unless you're looking for something in particular.
When you join, you will be Sorted into a House. This is done by you writing about yourself (your hobbies, your favorite character, and whatever else you'd like the "Hat" to know), and a staff member manually puts you in one of the Houses based on the personality you have. Your House can really become like a close-knit family and often does.
The nice thing I like about this game is that you can roleplay as anyone you choose. So, let's say your username is (well, let's take mine) Braille Bookworm. That doesn't mean my character is named Braille Bookworm. It's just a handle and I and another person can roleplay a plot where Hermione Granger turns out to be the Dark Lord's daughter and kills Harry Potter. (Trust me, I've seen plots like that.) You're only limited by your imagination and the site's PG-13 rating. In fact, you don't even have to roleplay Harry Potter. Are you a Twilight fan? Well, you can feature yourself in a roleplay where Edward falls for you, provided you can find a partner who will go along with your plot.
I will say that there are a lot of younger players on this site, so sometimes the roleplay can degenerate to one-liners.
As far as I know, I am the only blind HEXian on the site, but whenever I've talked to the staff about inaccessibility, they have been open to listening to my concerns. Since we're on the topic of inaccessibility, let me say that for Apparation (you have to click on the buttons Destination, Deliberation, and Determination (apparently) goes so fast that it's inaccessible from what I can tell. Apparation allows you to have bookmarks to your favorite places so you don't have to click through the site.
Also, the Whisperer and the Quibbler need to have OCR done on them because they are graphics (The Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly are in HTML and perfectly readable). I did create a thread about the publications and have gotten support from the editors, though I haven't checked to see what, if anything, they've actually done.
If anyone needs a hand with this game or (what the Heck) wants to roleplay something, let me know. I like running monthly writing contests and tend to give out Galleons and items quite often, so if you've got creativity, it's definitely worth checking out.
Tiffany
My ultimate gaming goal in life is to find or develop an accessible version of the Oregon Trail. Man, that game is awesome!