It's no secret that I have a strong preference for Lord of the Rings: Online (LotRO) over World of Warcraft (WoW). I recently began playing as a new character to directly compare the opening 10 levels to those in WoW. I quickly realized that, despite the many similarities, LotRO has a much more epic and engaging opening.

LotRO begins with an instance specific to the race of your character. The elf instance starts in the crumbling remains of a small elven village. The instance was catered to be exciting and make my player feel epic. I had to defend the town from goblins sprinkled across my path. Soon a troll stomped in front of me, and I watched from behind the safety of a gate as Elrond defeated the foul creature. I knew that I was in way over my head, but I was never faced with anything I couldn't handle as a level one character. Although I was unable to group from the very beginning (which some argue is an advantage in WoW), the brief instance immersed me in the setting of the game and the conflicts that I would continue to face each time I logged in. My character was already an integral part of the struggle, having hid precious relics, and facing a terrible foe named Skorgrim just minutes from the start. It was an exciting experience, and a great way to start the game.

LotRO contains many other elements that help to create a very polished gameplay experience. The quest flow is fantastic. The quests are centered around the conflicts between races and regions. The quest dialogue is more detailed than that in WoW, so the lore is there for those who care. I constantly felt like a hero, whether saving a lynx cub or gathering allies to defeat an evil wraith. The areas are also catered to gameplay. While an area may appear to be a wooded field from a distance, the trees are placed in clusters to allow for proper combat and gameplay space. Also, areas are often full of quests. When I left a town, I could frequently complete five quests before I returned.

LotRO is certianly more exciting in the beginning than WoW. I found that starting in an instance was a fantastic way to immerse me in the lore of the game. Although I have skimmed my fair share of LotRO quests, I am always glad that the lore is there behind every quest I complete. LotRO's world feels more real to me, and it is a place where I feel respected as a player.