Does EQ2 still have an active playerbase?

At the very least, you try different toons on servers and see how the guilds are during your prime playing time. You decide. Its you who is playing, after all. Only YOU can make that final decision. I hope you will stay and play with us!

Wow people are kind of Doom and Gloom, I was just trying to give the OP a view of what is going on, from how I see it, now your brother is exactly like I said, he has a built in support group to play with and group with, which is cool. But for people that don't know anyone, which is what I assumed the OP was, It is very hard to break into a live server to find groups, but Solo and TS and decorating is alive and kicking. I had forgotten about stormhold, which may be a better server to start on for a new player. But I have never played there so don't really know.
Just to let you know I do raid, and have a group of friends that I group with, but even in my guild it is very cliquey, I would not like to start now and hope to find grouping or raiding without knowing someone.

It is only as hard as the player makes it. If you are shy and anti-social, yeah, it is going to be very hard. If you can find some social skills and look around for guilds with a good core, you are on your way to a good start. It is just, when I see players on here saying give up before you even start, it kinda irks me while I strive to make the player base better in-game by guiding people to get to where they need to be. I know I know, this game long/tedious/blah blah blah but more and more of this community isn't helping guide players where they need to be (and no, I don't mean sugar coat things either). I miss the old community here where it used to be helpful, not so negative and telling people to just give up. But hey, if you can't beat them, join them, right? So all new players, just quit while you are ahead if you are reading this. There is zero hope for you.

As a returning player i can tell you, i had a lot of catching up to do. And still struggling.
I came back in november but got ascension started only in january coz i couldn't play in KA with no gear and no money to buy twatk gear. I only have 15 tithe points, and i play a lot. But there is one thing i cannot do ... catching up my ascension level. And that sux.

When i came back the first time, catching up was easy with some work. Here the pb with ascension being gated, it means that even though u start now, you'll be far behind other players. You'll play with people who got their epic 2 and lots of tithe and Ancient spells.

Better be warnef. Nothing is impossible but u also can't lie.

I love everquest, i love old contrnt, came back from lvl 80 to 100 only by questing and loved it. Though i played alone and joined only a guild at lvl 100. I would recommend people to play this game, it's a lot of fun, but i also would warn them that in KunarkbAscending ... getting to heroics will be a pain first and better find a guild with great people to help you through it. And give advice.

Still though, my point is being missed by miles (though, you just said my point in your last paragraph, is what people aren't getting). I am not saying its all Sunshine and Rainbows getting caught up, yes it requires some work, I get it just as much as the next person.
I also get being behind on ascensions is a bad mechanic right now for new players...but that ISNT really a reason to tell new players to quit before they start playing. Tell them to get started right away and so that they can get it leveling it (this is what im talking about guiding players vs. telling them that they will never be good enough). The race for epic discos is over, even hardcore players didnt even care about discos because they are behind too because they switched ascension classes.

Really, it isn't so much about how far behind you are from the top guys, that is the point of view from so many here. Rather, people should be viewing it as what do I (or, this person) need to aim for to be ready for heroics, and not worry about where everyone else is compared to them. Again, not saying this is a cakewalk or a circus full of fun, but If i were to compare myself to top end raiding guild people, by that standard, I am so far behind and not ready for heroics.

You can be ready, if your resolve is enough that you wont get one shotted by a casual attack from a boss, if your guild doesn't care. But LFG Heroics? *shakes head* I remember the day back in late PoP that people wanted raiding tanks for their group tank... and I had the best gear available in the bazaar at the time and had less than 4k hitpoints. So I rarely got groups. Not never, but rarely. I had an enchanter beg me to tank for their group because their tank couldn't hold agro if it was in a bucket, but she knew I could. I might be squishy but the cleric was warned that. And she knew that if I did die, the boss would be seconds from dying also.

So, you can do heroics undergeared, if your group doesn't mind. That's what friends and guildies are for. To help you gear so you can pass the favor along to a new young one!

Even with the hits it has taken, Stormhold is still the best option for straight up new players. It has a significantly lower barrier of entry and enough systems, features, and stats are still throttled enough as to not be completely overwhelming.

One problem with Stormhold, and its not so bad if you know from the outset. The exp is SLOW. You will finish all the quests in a zone before you are leveled up enough for the next zone, so you will have to mass slaughter to get enough exp to move on. Or the quest mobs will eat you for their lunch!

I have a toon on Stormhold, but since she is a rarely played alt, I wont bother a guild by joining just to clutter up their rolls with a toon played maybe once or twice a week, if that often.

Yeah, on SH you need expect to spend some time in the LFG channel or bring a ready made group with you. Leveling is best done dungeon-slaughter style as opposed to solo-quest style. Not to say you can't do it the latter way, you should just expect to bounce back and forth between multiple zones of the same level to make it happen.

Well this not entirely correct either - its really depend what class you are playing - inquisitor (HP buff) and defiler (warding) will always find much easy way to get group this x-pack when any other classes. I know some ppl like to play healers some like me not the only healer I have EVER played was cleric in DAoC with spec in smiting for exceptionally good PvP skills (specialty - killing scouts in PvP - mez-nuke-stun-nuke-mez )

Another 2cp
If OP is PG (Power Gamer) its not impossible to do catch up and have fun in doing it, But person need play smart. Have clear objective and clear path to meet those objective
a) pick the right class - right obviously one that on other hand fun to play (for OP!) and second not much gear depended
b) get level 100 ASAP
b) do TS level 100 ASAP (very unfortunate even if you disdain crafting it HAVE to be done)
c) make sure do as early as possible KA timeline (to get access to Ascending) - even if you do not leveling - at least pickup ascending scroll (save for later)
d) Money nowadays not come by easy for casual player - the ONLY way of it - doing key quests in KA - learn it, love it - every 6 hours you can naturally harvest at max 34 keys
e) do public quests (none stop as soon as they pop) - you don't need to do ANYTHING but 1 thing ... hit the mob ONCE and just follow crowed - if nothing else it will earn you tone of this x-pack currency
f) while you grossly under geared spend time doing pre-requisites for Epic 2.0 (that is including Epic 1.0 and faction grind)
g) use game time wisely - it should be like clockwork - you log in, pick the ascending scroll, run you key quest - go do pre-req for Epic 2.0 or/and do tithe grind - hint: even with lowest grade of KA x-pack gear old zones will be faceroll
What NOT to do
Don't waste your time doing heroic zones in KA (specially T1-T2 total waste of time in regard time-efforts/reward ratio)
Don't waste time on doing to much AS/Solo zone KA - just do weekly (for the currency)

This is the best I have heard of the reality of this expansion. Kind of sounds like a job.

Yeah, that literally sounds like zero fun to me.

It can be fun, but you need a good group of friends or a good guild to make it more fun. They can be a lot of help and joy. But if you are going to solo? *shakes head* You can do it, but I would only recommend it to my worst enemies!

Well we are talking not about strolling in but rather catching up so person can stroll after bases are covered.
What is not really fun atm?
Well get PUG to straggle in City Of Torris just to clear zone for weekly or daily because loot absolutely not worth visiting this zone. Grinding mindlessly key quests for what ever motivation (need of cash, hope for few shadow quartz keys etc.). Grinding mindlessly tithe in the old contested zones. Grinding faction for Epic 2.0, Grinding PQs
Now question WHY you want to do all those really NOT fun things? - well to do raiding or T3 heroics or progressing through Epic 2.0 - this is only 3 things that are relatively fun and give you some sort of sense of progression

Geez, I give up. OP, my advise is forget how you want to play and just ask yourself do you want to play with these people. Coming from EQ1 you might be familiar with faction grinding and crap reward quests you repeat over and over. Its a bit like camping only with xp at the end? Low level tasks perhaps? KA must of been the first one to reintroduce these themes into EQ2. In any case, you know when the folks near the top of an epac are moaning and groaning, their manners will go right out the window since they feel justified screwing over the ones coming up behind them for all the crap they've had to go through. I

If you want to play a good game with a (usually) good community. At least the in game one seems to be. Its a fun game that still has that EQ flavor but without many of the arbitrary mechanics EQ1 has survived with. There's a whole lot of content here and I think some of the earlier expansions sound better than the latest. But grouping might not happen at low levels. Guilds don't seem to recruit very much from what I've seen and when they do they are very specific on what they are looking for right down to exact class and stats wanted. Of course, its automated also. Really, if you have a good thing going in EQ, I'd stay there. If things are going stale for you there, then jump into EQ2. If you're a power grinding, you probably aren't going to have issues here.

Oh, server is really important. Some seem to never get over light pop while a couple stay at medium (except certain times). I think AB and Halls of Fate seem to have the steadiest pop. And the progressive one whose name I can't recall but I haven't paid attention really.

Might I ask why EQ isn't holding your interest at the moment? Just wondering. I take notions (if I don't stop playing games completely) to play one over the other myself. Though past few years I've stayed mostly with EQ2.

I'm on AB and my guild is very casual and laid back. Let me know if you wish to know more.

There are a good many players still in the game but to interact with anyone you need to join a good guild, unless you plan on playing solo which in my opinion is no fun.

I can only speak for 2 servers, but the overall community on Maj'Dul is crap. Stormhold(Progression Server) is overall decent. Only drama tends to be Disturbance and Triton fighting in general chat.

General chat? Whats that? *grins maliciously* I have had mine turned off since the Barrens in classic WoW long ago. Yeah, I do miss some important stuff... occasionally... but I miss lots of useless stuff CONSTANTLY!

Besides, I'm a Disturbance supporter *grins hatefully* No, not in the guild and no plans to be. Not in ANY guild and no plays to be. I'm an alt who just piddles around there at times, when I'm allaccess.