Thank you all for the incredibly helpful feedback! Obviously these forums have a very strong community behind it. I read each one of your replies after I did some homework of my own. I thought a look at the server/population trends from the past might have shed some light on which ones would impose the least feeling of general isolation or that dreaded single player sensibility that some have developed. I noticed that the material was pretty consistant, including a few in this thread who had gone from 1 to 80 solo and didn't really find easy access to groups until end game. Server populations seem to have always been an issue for both old and new players for a plethora of reasons; The most common being the distinct lack of social interaction (75 and below groups/larger guilds for end game encounters/more players around disperate levels) beyond a shared global chat channel. The question of servers is always the same when new players come aboard. No one wants the isolated experience from an MMO that they are paying for when they can achieve the same on a console platform. People generally want populated servers - from the article at Massively to forums in which people ask. "What Server has the Best population?" Back in 2008, one player stated that the current "server populations are dwindling by the day."
When I googled "EQ2 server population" I was shocked by the amount of people who felt this was a sincere issue that has significantly impacted their experience. One thing I discovered was that Antonia Bayle has a pretty stable population, which peaks at Medium Load, while the rest typically remain low. Many newcomers and veterans alike begin on or tranfer to Antonia Bayle to maximize their collaborative EQ2 experience and immerse themselves in an active society of players - which appears to be the catalyst for the dwindling numbers that other servers are suffering. This suprised me because the majority of the time, the most popular servers are PVP oriented!
Any game that has been around as long as EQ2 needs reinvigorated to some degree to lure in both new players and older ones. A few strong statements were made in this thread that ring incredibly true: New players are thwarted by the steep climb from 1-80 (90) and that frightens many off. The task sounds very daunting to people looking to acclimate or reacclimate themselves to Norrath. Had I not already had a mid-range character, I don't think I would have reactivated with as much enthusiasm as I did. As I barrel through my 50's, even the journey to 80 seems a bit staggaring.
I remember when Dark Age Of Camelot began introducing more end game content and implemented the quest that gave as much experience as an entire level - which was only available to player of a certain level, and if they pased that level they were ineligible and had to task through the next ten on their own before being eligible for a free level in the next tier. The quests were not simple, but it lessened the sharp incline players had to tread and allowed more people to get to the point where they could engage in these end game activities. The challenge was still there, most certainly, but the distance between one and the final ding was narrowed just slightly. It also presented a goal every ten levels. With EQ2's level cap raising to 90, I don't think such an implementation would hurt.
A new expansion is always a welcome sight so the game never feels stale, but with a platform that has an ever expanding horizon and a "low visibility" playerbase below 80, you have a lot of space in between that isn't used. The new expansion hold great promise for those going from level 80-90 (It is being marketed as a producted intended to expand content from 80-90) but the incentive for new or younger players seems non-existant.
Another comment in this thread was regarding EQ3. It was speculated last year at E3 that this announcement was impending. Alas, it wasn't. Often when a game finds itself running low on fuel and appealing primarily to a demographic already In the game (Level 80+) it's time to figure out how to pull more people to a product. EQ2 is an outstanding game and the SOE sector of Devs dedicated to it have astounded me with their constant dedication and dynamic content, lush events and air-tight additions to the experience. That said, it also seems mindblowing that population is such a substantial issue in a game where the quality is A+. EQ3 has possibility given that a great many gamers where only 10 when EQ2 first arrived on shelves. They're now teenagers and EQ2 operates very much under the shadow of WoW, their monster marketing campaigns and culture phenomenon. There isn't so much awareness. There isn't so much hype.
It's completely true that there has not been one single strong contender to appear in the industry since that unforgetable November in 2004 when both WoW and EQ2 hit stores just weeks apart. They were followed 5 months later by the last big game in the family of those that would become iconic, Guild Wars.
There have been hopefuls that have appeared, games like Pirates of the Burning Sea, Aion, City of Heroes, Age of Conan, Warhammer Online... for the most part, they were products of a hype machine and made barely a ripple in the wave of those that came before. There is always room for improvement, and you will notice if you played any of the aforementioned that each one incorporated elements of the Major three titles that dominated the industry as a trio. Interfaces suddenly looked very much like EQ2's, looting systems, combat and grouping options echoed that institued by World of Warcraft. Warhammer Devs were so certain that he had adequately adapted the strongest content from each of the three that they launched on opening day with a WoW-like amount of servers and quickly began shaving them off, trimming another 63 last march and most recently merging yet another pair of Servers November 29th. While their implemenation of the elements invented by the three Major titles was lackluster, they did however invent their own winning addition that we will see more of in the future. Public Quests.
In 2007, NCsoft announced a sequel to their hugely popular game. Guild Wars 2 will keep the free play model but strengthen the weaknesses that Guild Wars suffered from, primarily the segmented population (Districts took the place of servers) and reduce the amount of instanced adventuring. The chain of instances prevented players from spontaneous interactions and groupings that are necessary to create a persistant world and strong community.
Blizzard is about to turn Azeroth on it's head with its fourth expansion Cataclysm. They not just adding a few new zones and more levels to conquer. They're taking the entire experience and turning it upside down from level 1-90, tearing apart the familiar terrains and environments of Azeroth entirely. All of this driven by with a wicked storyline that literally redefines the experience regardless of your level. If you're 80, most will want to start a level 1 simple for the new content.
All eyes turn to EQ2 now. They were the first to drum up a powerful sequel to their iconic franchise, obviously setting a precedence. Is EQ3 out of the question? Or will they do something of mammoth proportion to the world of Norrath as we know it in order to invigorate the title? Right now it seems to me the most deserving of it, and the most in need. I tip my hat to the developers who have remained so committed to providing us with a great product over the last 5 years. That said, at the 5 year milestone, Sentinel's Fate seems a bit like a week delivery in a highly competitive market.