Iksar Monk is a really great class. Maybe not the best for your very 1st toon, but it’s not bad either.
The issue with monks, or any pure melee class for that matter, is that they don’t have the best solo capabilities, and they are even more restricted when they don’t have the best gear.
I’ve been soloing my 47 monk lately, and while it’s not terrible, it’s not great. For example, soloing specters in feerrott, even though they are several levels below me, still only allows me to kill 1 every 5 minutes or so. Contrast that with my necro, where he was basically downing specters as fast as he could get to them.
Classic EQ, while amazing and full of depth is not well balanced with respect to classes. Certain classes are just bad, others are only good if you have amazing gear, and some like necro and enchanters are just ridiculously easy to play and level without any gear at all. I played a barbarian warrior back in 1999 and made it to level 46 by the time velious was released. I quit shortly thereafter and came back here several years ago to give it another shot. This time I started with a necro because I remember seeing them in oasis of mart soloing spectres and that wasn’t something I could even dream of doing on my warrior at 46. The difference between necro and warrior is unimaginable. It’s actually a completely different game/experience with how much I was able to see and do as a necro vs warrior.
TL
[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]R. Monks a fine first class but necro would probably be a little easier for you as a first character