If you want an updated version, play Everquest II. The original Everquest is for those that want its original experience, and I believe those breaking into either game at this point will almost always choose the second version over the first. (Both can be played "F2P".)
Even as someone who cut his teeth on the original EQ, I preferred EQII. However, I certainly wouldn't question a preference for the former, particularly if you have veteran characters.
"Free to play" is bringing a new era into MMOGs, one I don't like; it may well be the death of the genre for me. The decision to use that pay plan (for it is just another way for most people to pay for the game, it doesn't end up being free. Statistics show the average F2P player spends more on the game than the subscription player.) is one based on chasing the almighty buck at the expense of game play and the degradation of player population quality, which is poor enough already. Loading the game up with players who want something for free, and/or actually believe the game will be free to play, simply is the wrong way to go if you care about a high quality game.
I have subscriptions to 2 MMOGs right now, neither of which have an F2P option, and both of which I will drop in a heartbeat if they add it (and mix F2P players with subscribers).
Personally, I believe many of today's MMOG players would be better served playing Borderlands and especially the upcoming Borderlands 2 (BLT, as some of us like to call it.) Borderlands is a First Person Shooter with RPG elements such as leveling and loot acquisition (GUNS!), without too much plot to get in the way of the story (to paraphrase the movie critic Joe Bob Briggs). You have to buy the game, of course (Borderlands is dirt cheap right now, you can pick it up with all 3 DLCs for certainly less than $20 and I paid $10 a couple months ago for a Steam download.), but playing requires no subscription, and multiplayer is well supported and of course free, as FPS multiplayer is. The PC version of BLT will not be a port, so those of us that play on the computer won't have to deal with as much console limitation as we might otherwise.
Certainly, if you are kind of player that grew up with games in which "Ipwnnoobs" is appropriate - in other words, the FPS genre - I suggest giving BL a shot if you haven't already.
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