Also, perhaps the chat could be real-time? This would help immensely, especially since most new players would not know about the irc channels (or might even be playing via phone, like me, and so not be able to use irc). That way they can ask for help on cerrtain issues when they come up and get immediate answers. Just so we are clear, there would either be only one or no realms on newb island. That way it doesn't just become a griefing ground with realms of experienced players trouncing newbs.
Sorry, that's not practical in multiple ways.
The most obvious is this:
Say you join the game, and you find that oh! it's got real-time chat! So you send a message, and wait patiently for a reply to come in.
But nobody is currently online, so you wait for 20 minutes and get nothing. Disgusted—after all, it's supposed to be real-time chat! WTF, man?—you leave the game and never come back.
Far more useful would be a notice on the joining page that warns players that the game is
not a fast-paced one like WoW where you can expect 30,000 other people to be online at the same time as you, and you
will have to wait for responses to your questions.