Late Starter

[Hogfather]

Hey guys, just got into this over the weekend and really, really enjoying it for some reason.

Levelling is slow, dying really fucking hurts, there's always random shit around that kills me really easy. I dinged 8 at least four times.

This is EQ I remember and love, its like an abusive relationship. I've gone back to EQLive a few times and can't handle it.

I just wish I had gotten on earlier. My only worry is with Velious due soon (?) that I'll miss the boat so to speak. What do you guys think that the release will do to Vanilla / Kunark adventuring for a brand new lowbie? I'm playing a chanter to group as much as possible and it'll be sad if all the action is on the new continent.

I was playing back in the day when Kunark and Velious came out but have no clear recollection of how the release went in terms of player activity. I know that the release of the Moon ruined the old world, but how much is Velious expected to pull away from the older stuff? Will EC still be a hub? How much time do I have to get into my 30s and 40s etc?