Hi and welcome! I'm an "evo-newbie" too (started playing here last May). I'll be glad to help you out any way I can. To answer your questions:
1) Yes, evo is very different from the non-evo Rose that you remember but the game itself is still comfortable and familiar.
2) Full support clerics still need a party to reach max level (in my opinion) and dual clienting is a good way to accomplish that. Just pick a fighting class that you enjoy to level along with your fs cleric.
Since you are brand new to evo, here are a few things that might help you
*Max level is 230
*1st job is still at lvl 10 but you don't need to do a quest- just talk to the npc for the job class that you are interested in. The npc's are in the little training village in Adv Plains.
*2nd job is at lvl 100 and still begins with Mayor Darren in the City of Junon Polis
*There are 4 planets Junon, Luna (lvl 70), Eldeon (lvl 120) and Orlo (lvl 180)
*Max number of people in a party is 6. In order to share experience, the party members must be within 19 levels of each other
*It's possible to make something called a group with up to 15 people. Within a group, there can be different parties with players of any/all levels and all members of the group can be buffed by one cleric.
*The stats themselves are as you remember them, but in some cases, there are some very big changes regarding what the stat does. For example, Dex no longer affects movement speed and Charm is required to make buffs strong. (yes, I said charm lol).
*The skill system is completely different. Basically you have the skills already and unlock them as you add points. You will get 1 skill point each time your character levels. There are skill books available in the Item Mall, Valor Shops and in pklayer's shops but those skills are optional or for convenience. After completing the 2nd job quest and chosing your second job, you will get another tab in your skill window with the skills specific to your new job. Most skills max at level 5. Passive skills take 2 points to level (10 points total) and active skills take 1 point to level (5 points total)
*Quests are a big part of gameplay and a good way to level as you explore each area. Be sure to take all killing quests with both your fighter and your muse/cleric because within a party, quest drops will be shared. In other words, your muse can benefit from the extra exp of the quests without ever having to do the killing
*The food vendors in the following places sell scrolls to those same places: Adv Plains, Zant, Junon Polis, Magic City of Eucar, and Xita Refuge. There are no other scrolls in the game.
I don't want to overwhelm you lol. It sounds like a lot but you will quickly adjust to things. Just approach it all with an open mind. Some of the really exciting changes have happened within the last 6 months. Buffiies made a topic that gives a nice overview of the more recent changes. Here is the link to that thread http://forums.warppo...1-welcome-back/
I'm on the Draconis server. My main ign's are HoneyBuns and Sulky. If you're also on Draco, feel free to whisper to me. My cleric has super buffs and I'll also be glad to answer any questions you might have. If you're on Leonis, I won't be ablt to buff you but you can still pm me here at the forum.
I can honestly say that I still enjoy playing as much today as I did when I first started playing Rose, many years ago.I hope you have fun playng again!