Here I am 5 months after my start in LOTRO and I've now reached level 60, the current Endgame level cap. I took my time as planned and smelled many flowers along the way.

Summing up my experience:

• For the first 20 levels or so I was enamored by everything, especially the 'fluff' content like fishing and the music system. The game is also pure eyecandy and I spent much of the early time just gawking at rainbows and daisies.
• I thoroughly enjoyed the Old Forest and the rest of Bree-land, including all of the related quests. North Downs is also great, I'd recommend it for most players after Bree-land. The Lone-Lands are just okay and skippable really.

  Evendim is the only map that felt artificial and poorly made to me, especially with the predictable and excessive placement of rubber-stamped mobs (the ratio of Tomb Robbers to Tombs is absurd). Every other zone gave me a sense of wonder as I entered it, highlights including Trollshaws and Forochel. I'm just starting Lothlorien now and I like it so far.

• Between 24-44 I took a vacation from questing. I abandoned almost all quests and just explored, crafted and farmed mobs as much as I felt like it at the time. It was refreshing to treat questing as optional, even though the game isn't really designed as a sandbox. I returned to questing at 44 in Angmar and Forochel but if I had to do it over again I would have just started Eregion @ 45.
• I've had no troubles with accumulating gold / coin. I'd rate LOTRO as "easy" in the grind for gold, especially compared to most other MMOs.

  By the time I was lvl 32 I had purchased two Deluxe Houses (for myself and my gf), several other houses for others in my Kinship and had no trouble getting my mount at 35. I should note I avoid the Auction House and tend to just vendor things I don't need for myself or my Kinship.

• There's a thrill in playing within Middle-Earth, but just like most Diku-based MMORPGs it's more like I'm visiting a Tolkien theme park. That's probably a good thing, because otherwise having a ton of men, elves, dwarves and hobbits tromping over the landscape would feel like stomping all over the lore. =P

I'm getting a wee bit sick of elves again, there's so damn many of them for a world they're supposed to be leaving. I grit my teeth and put up with them since I expect to be in Middle-Earth for awhile yet.

• The mob animations and abilities are better than any other MMO I've played. That alone has a lot to do with my enjoyment of the game, because I feel the basics of PvE combat are too often below par in MMORPGs.
• I tried the Ettenmoors a bit as a Monster / Creep, but I'd say it's more of a PvP distraction within a PvE game. I'm happy for that, because it mean (mostly) PvE balancing is paramount.
• I've worn crafted gear most of the way, until the rewards in Eregion or Moria began trumping what we could make within our Kinship.

  I like the crafting system better than WoW's but not by a huge margin. I wish it was a little more in depth and extended further into the Endgame. As it is, I felt like I'd peaked in crafting prior to the level cap.

• The small team content pleases me. Much of the 6man content is doable with 3-5 players. I've heard others complain the game is too easy, but many of those players won't even venture into instances until they have a full and select group of the 'right classes'.
• While most of the players on our server seem nice, I've had just plain awful PUG experiences.

  Outside of my own group of friends, I can't seem to find the right balance between patience and just-do-it approaches to content. I've stopped PUG'ing since I'm tired of either standing around, or people who expect to rush through quests just to get them done and over with. Random people suck.

  I feel blessed with our small friends-and-family Kinship, even though that means waiting for others to level up (I'm the first among us to 60).

• Moria blows me away, I love it so much.
• The legendary weapon system isn't perfect, but I find it satisfying as something to progress after reaching the end level cap.

Overall I'm thrilled with the game. I've got a lot of quests and content left to do.