Hi there, and welcome!
Well, Neverwinter Nights is based on the Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Ed. rules. In those rules, a character who reaches level twenty is likely among the most powerful of his race ever to walk the face of his planet. By the time he's halfway through the way to forty, he can be expected to face off against avatars of minor gods and come out of it alive. Levels 21-40 were added as a nod to those people who wanted a situation where a universe or plane of existence was at risk, rather than just, say, the world, or a kingdom.
While there IS a "legendary levels" system coded, anything beyond level 40 may as well be a deity themselves. Their skill would be unparalleled, they would be able to defeat adversaries that would cripple great heroes of legend, they could likely face up to the gods Themselves and give them a decent fight.
That's the answer to the max level. And don't worry... even in the singleplayer campaign, where XP is poured out like water, it takes a LONG time to reach level 40, if you ever do. In most multiplayer worlds (Layonara included) it can take a year or more.
As for how many people log on... it depends on your timezone, really. However, I can tell you that there have been one hundred and fifty seven distinct players online in the past week, and two hundred and thirty characters. That's a fair server population, any way you slice it.. and that's not even the normal complement.
Layo's a great place - start thinking of your character now, 'cause you won't want to wait!
Welcome, again!
