I've played EQ and DAoC since shortly after it came out. Opinions vary greatly between players but I found it to be a great game, especially when compared to EQ. Here are a few personal reasons why.
1. I am a casual player and couldn't afford to spend the hours and hours required for high level EQ Raids. With DAoC I could spend an hour or 2 on the game and accomplish things.
2. Less down time than EQ ( faster recovery of Hits & Mana)
3. No naked corpse runs
4. Superior graphics, flowing capes, guild emblems and over-all "feel" when walking across a realm.
5. EQ has many more zones and more "over the top" fantasy, but DAoC has that quasi- historical flavor that I personally love.
6. Becoming a crafter is an effective way to make not only good coin but better equipment than MOB drops if you are good at it. It is time consuming but some folks love it!
7. Combat is more than fun and detailed with special melee attacks, positional attacks and endurance to keep track of.
In response to your question about PvP ... there is a server called Gaheris that is only PvE ... no PvP at all and x3 times the content of a normal DAOC server as you get to freely travel through ALL the realms. The high level PvE game is a viable option in DAOC. Its not as robust as EQ, but it is fun.
With the latest expansion "Trials of Atlantis" DAoC has introduced massive quests and puzzles in the search for near-legendary artifacts through a number of brand new zones. It has a similar feel to a number of the higher end EQ quests.
I hope that helps you.
Good luck and I hope you have fun.