Revisiting The Lords of the Rings Online

This weekend the Lord of the Rings Online became free-to-play, and because I can't resist these things, I decided to give it another try. I first played it a little a long time ago, when the game first came out in 2007 but was too invested in WoW to commit to switching subscriptions (ah, everyone dreams in vain of being the WoW-killer!) so while it was a good experience and there was a lot I liked about it, I let it go when the trial period expired.

I made a hobbit character again, because while elves have stature, beauty and grace - or perhaps because - I feel a greater kingship with small people whose biggest problems are usually along the lines of pests in their vegetable garden. I don't remember what class I chose last time, but this time I think I have found the class of my heart. I'm playing a bard and while you start out with a basic lute, I have since equipped myself with a cowbell as my instrument of battle. What could be more joyful than running around The Shire, yelling at enemies (bards have shout attacks) and tink, tink, tinking furiously on a cowbell?

And that is why I didn't get enough sleep last night.