http://wiki.project1999.org/index.php/Main_Page
Read it. Love it.
I would specifically recommend reading:
http://wiki.project1999.org/Jval2529...om_Modern_MMOs
http://wiki.project1999.org/Players:Newbie
http://wiki.project1999.org/Loraen%2...election_Guide
http://wiki.project1999.org/Choosing..._Playing_Style
... in that order. Also read all of the specific race and class pages to try to get an idea of what class you'd like to make. After you do that, come back here and ask any specific questions you come up with along the ay.
And a ping of 200 would be just fine. This isn't counterstrike, it's not even WoW. It was designed to be played with a 56k (at best) connection and pings of probably 300+.