Probably because of the incarnate stuff that has come out in the past 2 issues.Try here for some info. http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Incarnate_System
Also you might want to browse the forums alittle to get a feel for whats goin on.I'm sure some other folks will be along soon enough to help out alittle more.
Oh and wb! 
Also, you've been away a long time and the game has shifted even more towards being instance-based than it already was (and it was that way to start with). Basically that means that most people are in missions on teams most of the team and therefore you don't see them. An increase in methods of fast travel (Mission Teleport, Supergroup Telepads, Pocket D Teleport, merged trams/ferries, Ouroboros Portals, etc) means that players can now very quickly travel from one mission to the next.
Aside from 'hub' regions where players use the market and buy/sell enhancements, there isn't much reasion to be 'outdoors' any more and so you often won't see a lot of other players moving around overland. For the same reasons, using broadcast chat is a poor method of finding people because most will be in a mission and won't see it.
The game has moved to primarily using global chat channels, team search commands and/or Supergroup or Friend lists for purposes of forming teams. If you make use of some of these tools, you may be suprirsed as to how many people there are that you didn't know were there.
Iscariot's Guide to the Tri-Form Warshade, version 2.1
I'm sorry that math > your paranoid delusions, but them's the breaks -- Nethergoat
P.E.R.C. Rep for Liberty server
Yeah it seems like everyone has 12 level 50's now.
Double-plus good on the server channels. Hop over to your server forum (here on these forums) and check out what everyone is doing. Find out what the server channels are and join them. You'll be much happier and much more plugged-in to what is going on.
Incidentally, the current WSF is Sister Psyche/Silver Mantis, both relatively low level Task Forces. If you hang out in Independence Port or Sharkhead Isle, you should be able to get a fair amount of teaming this week and weekend.
I recently started playing COH again after 3 yrs away from the game. I currently play on justice and noticed there arnt that many low lvl toons around. where did they all go...lol. anyway just wanted to know where to go to get that old feeling again.