I am a returning player and haven't played since ToV.(Actually logged back in and my illusionist was in ToV still) All of my characters are on AB. Seems like that is one of the more active servers. Turns out I was much more active leveling back then then I thought. I have a 95 illy(raid geared, not that it matters much now) along with a 95 Monk, BL, Ranger, Brig, SK, and mystic. Along with a 13 troub(woot woot). Would I be better off starting a new char. to learn everything or rolling with one of my 95s? I would like to get to max level and see some raids, but I definitely dont feel the need to rush right away to max level.
Nah, use your baby Troub to re-explore the newbie zones and get reaquainted. You can always mentor down your L95s at the Chronomage in town and then revisit the middle game with added strength, too (mentoring brings your level down so you can farm drops etc. but leaves you stronger than your average character that is naturally that level). I'd only roll a new character if there's a class you want to play that you haven't (or if you buy the newer classes of Beastlord or Channeler which you have to buy separately). You only get until Altar of Malice free, which was only one expansion after your final one that was Tears of Veeshan. You'll be capped at 100 unless you buy the newest expansion (Blood of Luclin) which increases your level to 120 and gives you all five of the previous expansions you're missing. https://eq2.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Expansions_and_Adventure_Packs
Only actual populated raids you can experience, are in Everquest II those which are doing the latest current expac content. And you shouldn't just see those with rose-tinted glasses either, it's nothing what it was back in ToV or even before that. It's only about grind + grind + grind + be one-shotted if you're too well-geared and bosses enrage on you (courtesy of design team). More than that, it's up to you to experience if you feel like going that way. With Luclin expac, any solo gear you get from that enables you to solo most of 2 expacs content before and earlier raids solo, giving the scripts actually allow you to do so, without breaking them and no way to progress. Which has become much more likely with any raids ever since Destiny of Velios, so not everything is straight forward granted to be able to achieve.
I decided to go ahead and make the purchase. Worse case I dont like the changes and I got a months worth of entertainment for $30. What do you mean I can only do actual populated raids in EQ2? Where else would i be doing them at. I am confused.
Sorry I worded it a bit confusing. I meant that people are mostly doing only current expac content for raiding, and with some situational necessity, the previous Chaos Descending, and Fabled Kael for certain blue adorns with Fervor, but the latter two only sometimes within raid guilds. Don't think there's any progression guilds for older raids left in the main game, as the TLE servers mostly serve that need, and most of the old raids can be easily done solo by now.
It really is, but be prepared for some stat inflation shock. I finally hit 100 this weekend (hey, only took me a lil over 15 years!) - I'd been carrying around the "freebie" crate of gear and went from ~350-400k hp's at 99 to over 5 million hps at 100. I don't think I even got to swing more than two or three times doing a two-box run through Perah'Celsis' Lab & The Palace of Roehn Theer until I got to the boss fights. Myst died during Roehn Theer after activating the second rune, but that was more because I got distracted "trying new things." Welcome back, hope you're having fun!
On AB there is a Time Locked Progression guild named Rewind, the leader is Eixx. You can talk to almost any member about joining. I think they are currently locked around 90 or 100, and they do raid.
