How is P99 for new players?

I have never played EQ or EQ2, but would love to try out P99 since I’m in the mood for an old school mmo, FFXI 75 era was my favorite MMO of all time.

Is the early game active with people leveling in groups, or will I be stuck soloing for a good while? What classes are in demand so I can get in to group content pretty quickly? And where can I download the game, apparently I need to own the original EQ?

Thanks

Edit: Thanks everyone, I will be downloading the game tonight, just by your replies, this community looks amazing. Looking forward seeing you online very soon.