EverQuest II

Grew up playing this, always been my #1 all-time favorite.
For a game so old it's actually aged really well and still looks pretty and runs smoothly for the most part. Loads of content and classes and races to choose from so it's near impossible to run out of new stuff to do. Fantastic soundtrack. Really good housing system. A lot more fluid and forgiving than many other Tab-Target MMOs. Has the best Christmas event on the MMO market. The variety of classes is really broad which is very refreshing and prevents you from being shoehorned into a class fantasy you don't want. Has a faction Betrayal system which is super rare to find, with cool storylines that make your betrayal more interesting and compelling.

It is my second favorite MMORPG of all times following Star Wars: Galaxies from the same original publisher. This game was never as popular as World of Warcraft, but it was better from the very beginning.

So have played this game off and on since its release.
It really depends on what you are looking for on if I would recommend this game to others.
For me, I really enjoy all of the different quests that I can work on as I level up(solo with a mercenary).
I also enjoy relaxingly harvesting materials and coming back to make a few spell upgrades, or some furniture for my house!
End game/group or raid play: I have no idea! If your into this you will need to read other reviews for the game. I grouped a lot wayyy back in the day, but havnt done any meaniful grouping outside of public quests in a long time(or when I catch an old buddy on we will do some duoing).
Solo Play: I thoroughly enjoy going back to old dungeons or zones I havn't played in years and working through them for fun. I have been able to solo most characters I have picked up playing with a mercenary. The only class I have gone pure crafting and abadoned soloing had been my old defiler. Fun class but the soloing speed is so darn slow I find it laborous.
I also have no idea on player population on Maj'Dul server(all my original toons are on this server, so always play here) but when I ask a question in general chat on game changes or advice I always get a meaningful response and everyone seems nice, which is refreshing!
If your looking for something to fiddle with that is deep with quests and character development, you may enjoy older EQ2, I have been :)

Classic MMO, I miss the height of this game. Daybreak has done a good job keeping it alive and surprisingly continuing to release expansions. Rumors are there is work being done on the next iteration of EverQuest by them. If you want a classic MMO released in the era of early WoW and Star Wars Galaxies, this is a good choice.

As long as you don't subscribe to their -- now -- VERY predatory monetization and get put-off by the -- now -- PTW aspects, there's A LOT to enjoy here... if you just relax and play it at your own terms.

Sometimes the mmo you needed is the mmo you missed when it was new. Fantastic game with a small, but passionate community. Slower gameplay is great for the social side and mercs are great for when you have to solo. The one thing is the graphics haven't aged the best, but that's the nature of its more grounded/realistic art direction, and there are still scenes that look phenomenal regardless. Would 100% recommend to anyone looking for a classic mmo experience without getting into the more esoteric territory of, say, EQ1 or FFXI.

There are some things old-school MMOs do better than new ones, but there is a definite audience for such things as more skills and options for builds, slower combat, longer buffs so you don't have to have high actions per minute, and other similar aspects that most modern games eschew in favor of streamlining, being action-packed and overstimulating, constantly changing things, and maximizing profits even at the cost of integrity (some companies).

I am so happy with how chill it feels to play, and how positive and mature the community feels compared to newer, popular MMOs.