To be honest, I've only played one MMORPG (RO) and it was incredibly intuitive and easy to understand. I found DO very confusing at first -- tiny text and VERY difficult to chat (you are limited to a certain number of characters --  type too much and *boom* your words magically disappear! Also, you must click on the textbox to type; I have oh-so-many times forgotten this, and have been severely punished by all the random help, info, etc. screens that pop-up when you press "h", "i", etc.). Also, unlike RO, there doesn't seem to be many people engaging in normal chat (normal chat as actual interesting social interaction, NOT "lvl18 pm 4 prty" etc.). Is this typical in other similar MMORPGs like WoW or Perfect World? Do I just have unreasonable expectations? 

THese days, you are better off joining a clan/guild when playing a mmo. Just find one that has people you fit in with. Age  shouldnt be a barrier to you. Most clans/guilds prefer mature gamers than to some kid or some no life teen who obsesses about every little thing.