We have a fantastic community here and EQ is a great game. P99 is infinitely easier than EQ was back in 1999 primarily due to availability of information. Much of the challenge of EQ is that it just dumps you in the world. That's it. Tool tips offer little if any useful information and as a result you have learn a lot outside the game, from other players or through trial and error. That information has been consolidated and published throughout the web. Additionally familiarity with other mmos also provides a useful knowledge base. In 1999 most players has no idea what they should expect.
The second aspect of EQ that makes it challenging is the asymmetric scaling of npc-PC power increases. NPCs become powerful much more quickly than you are able to acquire gear to keep up. This problem is however largely mitigated by the age of the server and knowledge of the player base aiming together to make many powerful items available far before they otherwise should be.
Casters are affect less since they are less gear dependent, but even so caster effectiveness lags behind NPCs just the same. A certain level of understanding of your class and each if your spells is required. You cannot simply press buttons and expect to kill anything. This all of course ties back to point one though and the availability of information. Whether you know what to do or not, there are many others who do and will gladly teach you.
The UI is also quite a bit more restrictive than many modern mmos adding a bit more challenge to gameplay from that angle.
Tldr;
EQ was challenging in 1999 and for players new to the mmo genre will provide much ye same challenge in a vaccuum. P99 is not that vaccuum and you are not that player, but still will find it at least somewhat more challenging than other mmos. The more you read/ask, the less of a challenge it becomes.
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