mIRC is text based, though I have used companion programs like maptools to play on it, I haven't lately. It does have an option for speech, but I've never looked into it so I don't know anything about it.
mIRC is -mostly- free to use, it says it has 30 days on it, but that's when it starts an annoying pop up ad to register it. At 520 days it will begin to demand you register and ignore you trying to get into it. There are certain... Ways around it, but I try not to spread them as a course of others. Ahem, if you are lost, confused, or bewildered by the download, the easiest way to find me is via thunderdoggie on yahoo messenger, or in my game room on Darkmyst server. Darkmyst has their own java mibbit program at
http://darkmyst.org/?page=webchat to hit my room, it's #DoggieComics and any ID that you find appropriator.