quite a few of the servers are indeed hurting, you just have to be active and not be afraid to ask people help. One of the many skills lost in PL'n (beyond just learnign to use yer toon) is the age old ability "invite %4 to group". Alot fo people quit cuz they cant get groups. Alot of people couldnt get groups beacause they all stand together in FP shouting "LFG" and no one takes the initiative to send an invite. up till just a few months ago, I'd grab 3 ppl LFG, say "there, now just grab 1 more person reg'd" and then drop out of the group.
I'm having alot of fun in EQ, I took me a nice lil break and came back. I can't say too much for Marrs Fist. PPO seems to have enough to do most. But CLW is the best/most-populated server....and Hodstock is glad everyone thinks that.
I liked a good bit of the stuff they added, if you're one of the people that want a ZP with every update, you may be disappointed. But the game itself has only gotten better. Free rehabs have helped offset the reduced population. And the people who currently play now are gamers who are pretty dedicated to playing. It's pretty guild driven now