Now that the old MSN chat rooms are gone, are there any places set up in a similar fashion?

I dont want video chat, Im looking for the old role play chats that used to be around. All I can find now are ones filled with bots and half arsed players. I dont want to join a forum.

I really liked the old chat rooms too, except people started to abuse them with rudeness etc.
Now when I want to chat I make a comment about some news article and then wait for a response. Sometimes its live chat and sometimes not, but I have met a lot of interesting people that way plus, it seems, some people watch for my commentary so that they can join in.