One more anecdotal comment:
I don't find the mechanics of charm here different enough to detect compared to my memory of live EQ from the start of Velious (started playing either right before or right after the velious expansion) through Gates of Diiscord (I think I quit about the time they nerfed charmed mobs). I did contribute charm parse logs to castersrealm at the time, but can't seem to dig those up now. Not positive my username on castersrealm was the same as this, unfortunately (my Enchanter's name). I thiiiink I started on Luclin server, later switched to Stormhammer (after 60).
I did personally use charm solo and in groups -- but not as much as here. (I started playing with dedicated 6 person friend group, so did about 1-45 with a pretty steady group, before people drifted away).
I *do* think channeling is slightly different -- it seems easier. Not waaaay easier, but easier (PS: wedge yourself in a corner, so hits can't push you). This isn't enchanter specific, of course, but as the int caster most likely to melee mobs (probably?), it might affect us the most.
People at the time (maybe not original release, but certainly by the end of Kunark) knew how to play. No one didn't understand Tash. Xxorn's Enchanter guide should be clear enough proof (as well as evidence that charming was known to be important).
However, two huge things stand out to me as 'not classic': population and gearing.
As others have said, live population was high. I don't remember average player numbers, but I'm guessing at *least* triple. Solo camping was generally looked down on in busy places because people wanted those camps for exp -- and maybe even mobs otherwise used for charm. I too remember Guk/Seb/Etc *packed* with people. The other side of this: people really wanted enchanters for groups, and playing with others (at least for me) is more fun. I'm guessing age also plays in: I'm now 20 years older than I was, and have a family and a kid and a 'grown-up job'. So, hanging about solo now is often the better choice instead of hopping into a multi-hour group.
The other big change: gear. With fewer people, and longer lived servers, people just have better gear here (even on Green) than they did on live. This actually affects melees more than casters -- serious twinks were pretty rare on live, and you basically get handed that level of gear here; this is not 'classic behavior' either. More hp, more ac, more int, all make charming easier than it was on live. (Solo and group charming really started happening in PoP, and I think a big part of that was the increase in gear availability and quality).
And neither of the above are affected by code at all -- the code could be *Exactly* as it was on live, and still result in 'non-classic behavior' due to social changes.
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