An interesting game that is fun, bug free and full of content... assuming you dont crave PVP.
To start, LOTRO is set in JRR Tolkiens 'Middle-Earth' (specifically the third age, for all you uber geeks out there), a world inhabited by Men, Elves, Dwarfs, and Hobbits. Players can select one of thoes races, as well as one of about 10 professions which define the skillset the player will have access to. All of the classes are unique and useful in most scenarios, so unlike some games which carry useless or uninspired classes, no matter which class there will be a spot for your specific skillset.l
One thing that is worth noting is how alive the world feels. Between the artwork (which is second to NONE), the animations, and the attention to detail, this game is really worthy of representing the greatest fantasy world of all time. While I'm not currently an active subscriber (job and other rl reasons), there have been times I resubbed just to explore the world they created here, as the visual beauty in this game will not be shattered by another MMO for a very long time.
Gameplay at this point is solid. Players level primarily by completeing quests which yield both exp and treasure, however if you were inclined, grinding NPC mobs also yields EXP, and certain creatures, if killed in a high enough volume will increase differant virtues of your charactor, which give you passive stat increases. Most of the quests in LOTRO are soloable, with only a handful of quest lines really requiring groups (it may be noted however that these are usually the highest yielding quests). This being said, if you prefer the lone-wolf playstyle, there is tons of content here for you.
However, LOTRO still suffers from one big flaw (which keeps it from 9.5/10 territory in my book). The PvP system just doesn't hold up to more PvP aspired games. LOTRO relies on a system called Player vs Monster Player to satisfy its PvP loving fans. However because there is no depth to the evil realm (monster players instantly level to max level, and dont have any corresponding storyline to match the player faction), playing monster play is generally not satisfying. If the dev's were to add a playable evil faction/campaign warring the good peoples of middle earth in a set of contested zones, lotro could easily be considered among the top MMO games of all time.
Overall, this game is going to be a great experiance for any MMORPG fan aside from the very most hardcore PvP enthusiests. There really is somthing in here for everyone, and at $9.99 for lotro + moria + 1 month subscription, everyone should give this game a chance.