For learning the game from scratch, I would strongly recommend you start on Blue with either a Dark Elf Necromancer or a Halfling Druid. Both of these will have you starting in close proximity to East Commonlands (EC), which is the main trading hub and congregation point for the server. As a new player this will benefit you tremendously in terms of receiving buffs, free gear handouts and for generally being in a position to meet more experienced players who can offer you help and advice.
Both of these classes can also provide benefits if you decide you'd prefer to play something else down the line, as the Necro is a very capable and simple plat farming class that you could use to help you outfit another character, and the Druid is always valuable for the ability to port, either porting yourself around to quest/gather items or porting other players for plat.
You will find the wiki extremely useful, particularly this newbie guide:
https://wiki.project1999.com/Players:Newbie
The maps will be very helpful, especially for helping you to navigate your starting city and find vendors and guild trainers. Also read up on whichever class you decide to play on the wiki.
Beyond that, just keep in mind that EQ is a game that is very much about the journey, not the destination. The slow grind is the game. There is no main quest or storyline to guide you. Some players like to team up in guilds and kill the most powerful monsters (raiding). Some like to challenge themselves to kill the most powerful monsters they can by themselves (solo challenge). Some just like to run around and do a bunch of different quests. Some like to level up as many different characters (alts) as possible. Some like to trade items in the EC tunnel and amass a large fortune. There is no wrong way to play the game, as long as you are enjoying yourself.