I lost my old account so I'd start from scratch, but I didn't lose anything I couldn't get back in a month or two.
There's fun to be had in EVE even in empire, but when they tell you that 0.0 is a different game entirely, they are not kidding around.
Still, it's the most flexible MMO I've ever played, and that's saying a great deal.
If you want to PVE (carebear) it up in Empire with my corp, speak to me. We're one of those corps who helps newbies out.