This game is great. It's not like any other MMORPG, it is well balanced, good graphics (that you can lower if you have a bad computer) and the best thing, it is not too much fantasy. I hate games where people run around with huge armors and enormous swords that they can barely drag, if it were realistic.
here we have wee people running around with giant flowers three times :-)
but in general you are right; middleearth is somewhat low fantasy when it comes to the display of magic, loremasters and runekeepers with flashy effects being an exception, for sake of visualization.
Yea I agree, the realism is outstandingly well. I like a few mages running around, but even still, the game gives the feeling of living in middle earth. I like it very much.
To be fair, LOTRO is more mediaeval than fantastical. It is not hugely based on magic - if such a word is appropriate to use on LOTR, it is controversial. Nevertheless, LOTRO has a spark that not many other MMORPGs really have. :-)