The Elona/Middle-Earth Conflict

I've been trying to get into MMORPG ever since I found out about Everquest. But I've been discouraged by reasons such as: my slow internet connection, the monthly fees, and people who don't role-play. Now, however, I think I'm finally ready for an online RPG. I just upped my connection speed, and there are online games with no, or cheap, monthly fees. Two of the games that I'm currently interested at are Guild Wars and the upcoming Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar.

But I must choose between these games since I can only devote my time on one. I always wanted to play Guild Wars. But only because it doesn't have any monthly fees, and I know some people who play it. Other than that, I don't know much about the game. But the game's title suggests that I might encounter PvP (player vs. player) combat, and I'm not into that. What I want in MMORPG is the party-based adventure. Luckily, that's the aim of LOTRO: Shadows of Angmar. I've been following LOTRO's development for quite sometime. I must say that the sound of role-playing an Elven Burglar, in a "fellowship", is really interesting. The downside of LOTRO are the monthly-fees. However, if you pre-order the game, you can become a Founder which will reduce your fee to $10 (originally $15), or pay $200 for lifetime subscription.

As of now (after actually writing this), I think I'm going to pre-order LOTRO and participate in the open-beta. If I like it, then I'll play it. If not, I'll just give my Founder's price to a friend. As for Guild Wars, I'm still keeping the option open. After all, you don't need to pay in order to play this game.