Welcome!
I got back into the hobby myself just a few years ago, after starting with NERO Alliance in the early 2000s. I never played on the NERO International side of the fence, but I did play when there still weren't that many differences between the two systems. I returned to find that Alliance has done a great job updating and improving the rules more or less continuously, with the most dramatic rules change yet (the "2.0" rules) only going live this year. While there are a few things I miss with the old rules, the new rules are objectively better in most ways and are definitely easier to learn than the old ones, so this is a great time to start playing. You will still recognize a lot from having played NERO previously.
I'm currently in the process of jumping ship from the Northeast Pennsylvania chapter to the New Hampshire chapter myself. The turnout for the game varies based on chapter, of course. I've attended two New Hampshire events so far, in the Videa campaign, and I had a ton of fun. I would guess there were around 15-18 PCs and about 5-7 NPCs at each event (the NH chapter enforces a 3:1 minimum PC to NPC ratio, but they seem to always have enough NPCs that I've never been on the waiting list for a PC slot). The people were all very friendly and I was able to be involved in adventuring right away, without any cliquishness or anything. Everyone seemed very excited to see new faces... it seems most of the players are local, whereas my LARPing partner and myself drive in from out of state, so it's possible that NH might be one of the smaller chapters.
I'm finishing out this year's NE PA events because the campaign setting that my character is from is coming to an end (I can only take so many weekends off from work), but I plan to get back to regularly attending the Video events next year.
Do note that many chapters are starting to take their online organizing to a more Facebook-centric approach, so if these forums seem quiet to you, that might be the reason.
