I came back last week because there was nothing on the telly. I didn't know anyone at all, I'm a slow slow gamer who takes weeks to raise 1 level (even in FFXI) and die constantly, but still managed to meet nice people. You're bound to meet people through the process of raising your level. I think there're a lot of things to do, and most of the stuff is much more reachable now than it used to be. So I think yes, it's worth returning.